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MAKING BAYBERRY CANDLES 


A LITTLE MAID 

OF 

Narragansett 

BAY 

BY 

Alice Turner Curtis 

»» 

AUTHOR OF 

“A Little Maid of Province Town” 

“A Little Maid of Massachusetts Colony’ ’ 

Illustrated by Wuanita Smith 



THE PENN PUBLISHING 
COMPANY PHILADELPHIA 
1915 



COPYRIGHT 
19 15 BY 
THE PENN 
PUBLISHING 
COMPANY 



AUG -5 1915 

© CL A 4 0 19 6 9 


Introduction 


In the days of the great American revolution 
there was a prosperous colony on Cape Cod, and 
“ A Little Maid of Province Town ” is the story 
of Anne Nelson, who lived there with some 
townsfolk. Her father had disappeared, and 
some of his friends thought he had been 
drowned at sea. But he had gone to Boston 
to enlist in the American army, and Anne, sail- 
ing there as a stowaway, was able to be the 
proud bearer of a very important message. 

“ A Little Maid of Massachusetts Colony ” 
carries on the fortunes of little Anne, in which 
she runs away to Brewster and is escorted by 
Indians to her friends’ home there, the Free- 
man’s. Mr. Freeman takes her on to Boston to 
see her father ; on the way they are arrested and 
locked up as spies, but escaping, Anne makes 
her way to Boston and helps her father capture 
a British schooner. 

And now “ A Little Maid of Narragansett 
Bay ” is the story of the same war times, but 
3 


4 INTRODUCTION 

tells of Penelope Balfour, and her brother Ted, 
who lived on a little farm in Rhode Island with 
their mother, while their father was serving his 
country in the war. “ Penny’s ” bravery and 
presence of mind were of great value to the 
American camp, quartered near her home, and 
Ted’s boat, “ Freedom,” wins hearty praise for a 
share in carrying messages as well as in provid- 
ing happy sailing parties. 


Contents 


I. 

The Quarrel 



. 

9 

II. 

Ted’s Plan . 




21 

III. 

A Rescue 




3 2 

IV. 

An Important Paper 




46 

V. 

The Blue Sunbonnet 




58 

VI. 

The Wrong Verse 




70 

VII. 

Florence Tells a Secret 



82 

VIII. 

Gifts 




95 

IX. 

Brother Juniper . 




106 

X. 

A Strange Encounter 




n; 

XI. 

A Day of Storm . 




132 

XII. 

“ Sammy ” 




142 

XIII. 

The Day After . 




152 

XIV. 

Pomp and Pride 




159 

XV. 

Sylvia . 




169 

XVI. 

Neighbors or Tories ? 




178 

XVII. 

The Secret is Told 




189 

XVIII. 

A Birthday Party 




199 

XIX. 

A Young Bear 




211 

XX. 

Penny and Captain Balfour 



223 


5 



I 


Illustrations 


PAGE 

Making Bayberry Candles . . . Frontispiece s 

w Off With You ” 68 v 

The British General was Thrust Into the 

Coach 148 ‘ 

There in the Chaise Stood the Little Chair . 175 

A Round Furry Head Appeared . . . 219 / 


A Little Maid of Narragansett Bay 


7 



A Little Maid of Narragansett 
Bay 


CHAPTER I 

THE QUARREL 

“ Wait ! Penny Balfour ! Wait for me/’ 
called a shrill voice, and Penny stopped half- 
way up the slope of Bay berry pasture and looked 
back. 

It was a day in early June, and the air was 
clear and pleasant, and filled with the fragrance 
of the wild roses which grew and blossomed all 
up the rough hillside. From the top of the hill, 
where grew the hardy bayberry bushes, one 
could look out across the blue waters of Narra- 
gansett Bay, with its many islands and wooded 
shores. As Penny Balfour stood looking down 
the slope she could see a little figure in a blue 
dress and white sunbonnet coming swiftly up 
the path. 


IO 


A LITTLE MAID 


“ Hurry up, Florence ! ” she called, a little 
impatiently, and thinking to herself that she 
wished Florence Dickinson did not always want 
to follow her. “ I don’t see why,” thought 
Penelope. “ Florence has dolls, and a pony, and 
everything a girl could have ; and she won’t 
stay at home and enjoy herself. She’s always 
running after Teddie and me.” 

Florence, seeing that Penelope was waiting, 
now walked slowly, and called, “ Where are you 
going, Penny ? ” 

“ After bayberries. Mother begins making 
candles to-morrow. Hurry, I can’t waste time. 
I must pick all the bayberries I can,” answered 
Penny. 

“ I’ll help,” responded Florence eagerly. 

“ Come on,” said Penny, as Florence stood 
beside her. “ Mother wants all the bayberries she 
can get. She says it’s no time to make tallow 
candles when there’s so much need in the 
Colonies. And we shall sit in darkness next 
winter if we do not lay up a good supply of bay- 
berry candles.” 

Penelope Balfour was nearly twelve years old, 
and was tall for her age. Her flaxen hair was 
combed smoothly back from her face and the 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT n 

end of her braid could be seen beneath the 
flounce of her blue sunbonnet. She had blue 
eyes, and was always ready to smile, so that her 
brother Ted, who was two years her senior, de- 
clared that she ought to have been named 
Smiling Sally instead of Penelope Henrietta. 

The Balfours lived in a small brown farm- 
house at the foot of Bayberry Hill. There were 
many acres in the Balfour farm, the fields and 
woodland of which bordered on Narragansett 
Bay ; but since Penny's father had joined 
Colonel William Barton's regiment to defend 
the Colonies against British rule, the farm no 
longer yielded the big crops which had made 
the little household secure and comfortable. 

Ted Balfour was a sturdy, manly boy who 
did his best, but he could not, of course, carry 
on the farm as his father had done. He took 
care of the stock, kept his mother supplied with 
fire-wood, and in his small catboat often went 
for a day's fishing. A number of British war 
vessels were anchored off Goat Island, and Ted 
often sailed near them, eying them with hostile 
thoughts, and accusing them of being the cause 
of his father's absence from home. 

Florence Dickinson lived in a big house of 


12 


A LITTLE MAID 


gray stone, about half a mile distant from the 
Balfour farm. There were terraces in front of 
the Dickinson house, and a long curving drive- 
way led in from the highway. Here Florence 
lived with her mother and grandparents. Her 
father was in Boston, where he held an office in 
the employ of the English Crown. 

Florence’s eyes were brown and her hair, soft 
and curling, nearly black. She never seemed 
very strong, and as she trudged up the hill, her 
breath came in little gasps, and she held tightly 
to Penny’s hand. 

“ You ought not to run like that, Florence,” 
said Penny in a more friendly tone. “ I’ll 
wager you ran all the way from Stone House.” 

Florence nodded. “ I wouldn’t have caught 
up with you, Penny, if I hadn’t run,” and she 
looked up at the older girl smilingly. 

“ Did your mother know you were coming ? ” 
questioned Penny. 

“ No ; she and grandmother are on the west 
porch, and I slipped out the east door and ran 
and ran ! ” answered Florence triumphantly. 

Penny stopped suddenly. 

“ You’ve got to go straight home, Florence ! 
Yes, you have ! You know that your folks 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAY 13 

don’t want you to play with me, and I don’t 
want you, either. Your father’s a Tory, and 
my father is an American soldier,” and Penny 
tried to free her hand from Florence’s grasp, but 
Florence’s fingers tightened their hold, and she 
stood looking up at Penny with pleading eyes. 

“ Why don’t you like me, Penny ? Why 
don’t you ? ” she asked. 

“ I do like you, Florence. But neither Ted 
nor I wants to play with a Tory’s daughter,” 
replied Penny. 

Florence at once released Penny’s hand, and 
for a moment the two little girls stood looking 
at each other. Florence’s dark eyes sparkled 
angrily, and Penny’s cheeks were flushed. 

“ You needn’t ever play with me again, Penny 
Balfour. Your father’s a rebel, and he’ll be 
killed or shut up in prison, and your house 

will be burned down, and — and Florence 

began to sob, and flung herself face downward 
on the rough ground. 

Penny turned quickly and marched on toward 
the bayberry bushes. But in a moment she 
stopped and turned back. “ I’ll take back what 
I said about liking you, Florence Dickinson,” 
she called. “ I despise you, and so does Ted.” 


A LITTLE MAID 


H 

There was no response from Florence; and 
Penelope went on and began picking the gray, 
fragrant clusters of waxy berries which were to 
be made into candles. 

Usually Penny was very happy to be on Bay- 
berry Hill, for she liked to look off toward the 
distant islands, to watch the ships at anchor and 
the fishing boats, to breathe the fragrant air, and 
to think about her soldier father who she knew 
was in camp with Colonel Barton on the other 
side of the bay. For days the Balfours had been 
hoping that Penny’s father might find a chance 
to visit his home. But this morning Penny for- 
got even to look for Ted’s boat. She could think 
only of Florence, who lay on the pasture slope 
angry and unhappy. She remembered how the 
little girl had run, until tired out, to be with 
her ; and how tightly Florence had clasped her 
hand. Penny looked back, but Florence was 
not to be seen. 

“ She’s gone home, and I’m glad she has. 
Her father’s a Tory ! ” Penny said to herself. 
But the pleasure of the morning was gone. 
Suddenly she remembered how ill Florence had 
been that spring, and hearing a neighbor say 
that she was a delicate child and might never 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 1 5 

live to grow up. At the remembrance Penny’s 
own breath came quickly. Suppose she was 
right, after all? Suppose Florence didn’t live to 
grow up ? 

Penny put down the basket and ran down the 
slope. “ Florence ! Florence ! ” she called. But 
there was no response, and she could see no trace 
of the little girl ; and after looking about for a 
few moments hoping that Florence might be 
hiding, and would relent and come out find 
make friends, Penny turned and went back to 
her berry-picking. 

By the time her basket was filled it was nearly 
noon, and but for the pleasant breeze from the 
bay it would have been uncomfortably warm. 
Penny pushed back her sunbonnet until it hung 
from its gingham strings around her neck, and 
started for home. 

“ I s’pose Florence went straight home,” she 
said to herself, as she climbed the stone wall be- 
tween the pasture and the field in which the 
Balfour house stood. 

Mrs. Balfour stood in the kitchen doorway 
and waved her hand to Penny, who waved back, 
and quickened her steps as her mother called : 
“ Dinner’s all ready and waiting ! Fried mack- 


i6 


A LITTLE MAID 


erel and baked potatoes, and ! ” and with an- 

other wave Mrs. Balfour disappeared into the 
kitchen. 

“ I know what 4 and ’ means,” said Penny as 
she reached the kitchen door, and set her basket 
on the broad stone step. “ It means strawberry 
short-cake,” and Penny sniffed appreciatively. 

“ Hang up your sunbonnet, dear, and call 
Ted,” responded Mrs. Balfour, and in a few 
moments the little family were gathered about 
the round table which stood between the two 
western windows of the pleasant room. 

“ I saw Florence running up the path after 
you,” said Mrs. Balfour as she filled Penny’s 
luster mug with cool milk. 

“ Yes, and then she ran away from me,” re- 
sponded Penny, “ but I made her. I told her 
that her father was a Tory, and that I didn’t 
want to play with her.” And Penny looked 
steadily at her luster mug. 

“ My soul, child ! Whatever possessed you to 
turn on little Florence Dickinson like that ? ” 
said Mrs. Balfour sharply. 

“ And Florence said that my father was a 
rebel ; and that our house would be burned 
down. And I said that I despised her, 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 17 


and ” Penny’s cheeks grew flushed, and 

her blue eyes lost their friendly expression. 

“ There, there, child ! Say no more about it. 
Put the butter on your potato before it cools. 
Ted had fine luck with his fishing, and sold 
Squire Dickinson a shilling’s worth of mackerel. 
With his household ’twill be none too many,” 
said Mrs. Balfour. 

“ There were ten, as good as those I brought 
home,” declared Ted. “ What a ninny you 
were, Pen, to turn on Florence. She doesn’t 
know what the words 1 Tory ’ or ‘ rebel ’ mean.” 

Penelope scowled at the luster mug again, but 
made no answer to her brother’s reproof ; and 
Mrs. Balfour now brought the short-cake to the 
table, so, for the moment, they quite forgot 
Florence. 

“ Every short-cake you make is better than 
every other short-cake,” said Ted enthusias- 
tically, and Penny smiled happily when her 
mother said, “ I used the round baking tin to- 
day ; there’ll be plenty for two helpings.” 

“ I know why you did that ! ” said Ted. 
“ You were hoping father would appear in time 
for a piece. But with those old British war ves- 
sels there’s not much chance for him to slip by.” 


i8 


A LITTLE MAID 


“ 1 hope you don’t go too near those ships 
when you are out fishing, Ted ? ” questioned his 
mother anxiously. “ If they happened to think 
of it they would take you on board, and make 
what use they pleased of your boat.” 

“ I’d like to see them catch me ! ” declared 
Ted valiantly. “ Some of the sailors do know 
me by sight. They call me 4 Sammy/ ” and 
Ted smiled at the remembrance of the friendly 
jokes of the English sailors, as his swift little 
sailboat had sped close to the big dark hulls of 
the war-ships. “ But I’ll be careful,” he added, 
as he noticed his mother’s anxious face. 

“ Ted has a plan to see father, haven’t you, 
Ted ? ” asked Penny. 

But Ted frowned and shook his head. 

“ 1 should hope not,” exclaimed Mrs. Balfour. 
“ See his father ! The idea ! Don’t let me hear 
a word of any such foolishness as that. If your 
father can’t manage to get home it’s not likely 
you could get to Colonel Barton’s camp.” 

“ Pen’s always making things up,” grumbled 
Ted, scowling at his sister. 

Before she could reply there was a sharp rap 
at the door, and they all turned toward it. 

“’Scuse me, Mistress Balfour. I’se come to 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 19 

fetch Missy Florence home I ” and Hitty, Squire 
Dickinson’s colored servant, stood bowing and 
smiling in the open doorway. 

“ But Florence isn’t here,” said Mrs. Balfour. 

“ She went home two hours ago,” added 
Penny, sliding from her chair and looking at 
Hitty with startled eyes. 

“ Her mammy said she must be here,” per- 
sisted Hitty. “ They searched the house and 
the gardens, and all the places, and then her 
mammy says : ‘ Here, you, Hitty, you run fast 
as you kin to Mistress Balfour’s and fetch Missy 
Florence home.’ So here I is,” and Hitty curt- 
sied and smiled and stood as if she expected 
Florence to appear immediately. 

“ You must hurry back, Hitty, and tell your 
mistress that Florence has not been here. She 
was with Penelope on Bayberry Hill two hours 
ago, and Penelope thought she had returned 
home. She must be somewhere about Stone 
House,” and Mrs. Balfour’s face showed that 
she was anxious to be assured of Florence’s 
safety. 

“ Yes’m, I’ll sure tell her jest what you say,” 
replied the smiling Hitty. 

“ I’ll go back with Hitty — shall I, mother ? — 


20 


A LITTLE MAID 


so as to be sure ? ” asked Ted, taking his worn 
straw hat from its peg near the door. 

“ Yes, Theodore,” replied Mrs. Balfour, and 
she put her arm about Penny’s shoulder as they 
stood on the broad. stone step and watched Ted 
and Hitty until they disappeared in the shadow 
of the tall pines. 


CHAPTER II 


ted’s plan 

“ Florence is probably playing about in Stone 
House garden, or perhaps hiding on purpose to 
make Hitty search for her,” said Mrs. Balfour, 
as she noticed Penelope’s sober face. “ Now you 
pick over these bayberries, and I’ll put the 
kettle right on, and we’ll start candle-making,” 
and Mrs. Balfour turned back to the kitchen, 
returning in a moment with a shining tin pan. 
“ You can put the bayberries right in this, 
dear,” she said, and Penny sat down on the 
door-step, and began picking the little stems 
and twigs from the bayberries. 

Usually the little girl thought that candle- 
making was the greatest fun possible. She 
liked to turn the berries into the big kettle of 
boiling water, and, when they had boiled for 
hours, was anxious for what she called the 
“ simmering ” to be over. The mixture then 
had to stand all night, and it was on the second 
21 


22 


A LITTLE MAID 


morning, when the wax was hardened in great 
cakes on the top of the kettle, that the real work 
of making the candles began. It was Penny 
who usually skimmed off these cakes, broke 
them up in the big porcelain-lined pan, and put 
it back on the stove to melt. Then, after her 
mother had strained the melted wax through a 
sieve, came the “ dipping," and Penny had 
never discovered any game that gave her as 
much delight as dipping bayberry candles. 
The braided candle-wicking was cut in proper 
lengths for the candles. Then Penny would dip 
a wick into the hot wax. At the first dip the 
wick stiffened. She would hold it a moment 
for the wax to drip, and then dip again ; and in 
a few moments there was a wonderful moss-col- 
ored candle, smooth and shining, a promise for 
light on dark winter nights. 

But Penny could not fix her thoughts on this 
delightful prospect. All she could think of was 
that she had told Florence that she despised her. 
“ And I said Ted despised her, and he doesn't. 
He likes her," Penny said to herself accusingly, 
and recalled Florence's sobs as she threw herself 
down on the hillside. 

“ Mother," she exclaimed suddenly, jumping 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 23 

up from the door-step, “ mayn't I run up the 
road and meet Ted ? " 

“ You may go and meet Theodore, but don't 
run. It is too warm to run," responded Mrs. 
Balfour, taking down Penny's sunbonnet from 
the wooden peg where it hung and putting it on 
Penny’s flaxen head. 

“Must I wear my sunbonnet ?" pleaded the 
little girl. “ It makes me feel all shut in. It's 
just as if I had blinders on. I can’t seesideways." 

Mrs. Balfour smiled, but shook her head. 
“ Of course you must wear it. What are sun- 
bonnets for ? " she replied. And Penny started 
off toward Stone House, thinking to herself that 
sunbonnets were chiefly for the purpose of mak- 
ing little girls uncomfortable. 

“ P’raps Florence has run away," Penny 
thought to herself, with a little thrill of terror. 
“ P'raps she has run off to her father in Boston, 
and dreadful things will happen to her." 

Penny was now in the shadow of the woods, 
and suddenly a voice called, “ Rebel ! Rebel I 
Rebel ! " and she stood still in amazement. 

“ Florence ! " she exclaimed. “ Oh, Florence, 
I'm sorry I was so hateful to }mu. Don’t hide ! 
Come out to the path." 


24 


A LITTLE MAID 


“ Rebel ! ” the shrill voice called again. But 
Penny was again her smiling self. Florence was 
safe, and Penny did not mind being called a 
rebel ; she was rather proud of it. So she sat 
down at the foot of a big pine and leaned 
against it, feeling sure that Florence would soon 
appear. 

“ Hurry, Florence,” she called. “ I have lots 
to tell you. Something lovely.” 

At this a glimmer of a white sunbonnet 
showed above a bunch of shining laurel bushes, 
and Florence made her way to the path. 

“ What is it that’s lovely ? ” she demanded, 
standing on the opposite side of the path and 
looking at Penny with startled eyes. 

“ Come over here and sit down, and I’ll tell 
you,” responded Penny, and Florence came a 
step or two nearer, then paused uncertainly. 
But Penny had already begun : “ It’s candle- 
making,” she said, “ to-morrow. And you can 
come and help dip, if you want to. And in the 
afternoon Ted will take us for a sail ! ” 

“Honest?” demanded Florence, who had 
seated herself very close to Penny. 

Penny nodded. “ Yes, honest. And Ted 
likes you, Florence, and I like you.” But 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 25 

Penny did not look at her little friend, for she 
was thinking to herself that Florence ought not 
to forgive her so easily. 

Then, all at once, the head in the white sun- 
bonnet was in Penny’s lap, and Florence was 
sobbing : “ Oh, Penny, I was going to hide in 
the woods and starve, just to make you sorry; 
and you liked me all the time.” 

“ Of course I did. I was just cross,” responded 
Penny. 

“ I am ’most starved now,” said Florence, 
lifting her head and wiping her eyes. 

“ You must hurry right home. I’ll go with 
you,” said Penny, and the two girls started along 
the pleasant woodland path holding each other’s 
hand and making plans for the next day. 

When they left the shade of the pines and 
came in sight of Stone House they could see 
people moving about on the terrace and in the 
gardens ; and Penny saw Ted wave his hat. 
Then Squire Dickinson, followed closely by 
Florence’s mother, came hurrying toward them. 

“ It’s my fault,” Penny called out before the 
squire reached them. 

“ I don’t doubt that,” answered the squire 
gruffly ; “ like father like child.” 


26 


A LITTLE MAID 


“ It isn’t her fault ! ” declared Florence. “ I 
hid in the woods and Penny found me and 
brought me home.” 

“ What made you hide?” questioned Mrs. 
Dickinson, putting her arm about the tired little 
girl and leading her toward the house. 

“ Yes, tell us that,” said her grandfather ; 
and the three moved away, quite forgetting 
Penny, who stood looking after them. 

“ Come on home, Pen ; they don’t want us,” 
said Ted, and the brother and sister turned and 
started toward home. But in a moment they 
heard Florence calling and turned. 

“ Pen-ny, I’ll come to-morrow,” she called, and 
Penny called back : “ All right,” and then she 
and Ted went on. 

“ She’s queer, isn’t she, Pen, to keep running 
after you all the time ? What is she coming to- 
morrow for ? ” 

“ To help make bayberry candles,” answered 
Penny ; and then, after a moment’s silence, she 
added, “ Won’t you take us out sailing in the 
afternoon ? ” 

Ted chuckled. “ I’ll bet you promised Flor- 
ence to take her sailing,” he answered. 

“ Yes, Ted, I did. I was so hateful to her 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 27 

this morning that I wanted to do something, 
and I knew she would like that the best of any- 
thing. You will take us, won’t you, Ted ? ” 

“ Her folks won’t let her come ; you’ll see, 
Pen,” he replied. “ The squire is a regular 
Tory, and he hates father because he has joined 
the American army. He doesn’t want Florence 
to play with you, anyway.” 

“ But he buys fish of you, Ted, and he 
wouldn’t let the British sailors trouble our stock. 
You know mother says it is a great protection 
for us to have Squire Dickinson for a neighbor,” 
answered Pen. 

“ Well, perhaps it is. I’ll take you sailing if 
you want to go. I wish you were a boy, Pen ; 
then we’d manage to see father.” 

“ Why can’t I help now ? ” questioned the 
girl. “ I’m almost as big and almost as strong 
as you are. What’s the reason I can’t do any- 
thing that you can do ? ” and Penny stopped 
short and waited for Ted’s answer. 

“ Well, 4 Smiling Sally,’ ” laughed the boy, 
“ I guess it’s your clothes and long hair. How 
could a sailor wear a sunbonnet? ” 

“ I hate sunbonnets,” responded Penny, and 
they walked on. Ted’s thoughts were of a 


28 


A LITTLE MAID 


possible chance to sail across the bay to Tiverton 
for a visit to the American camp ; and Penny 
was wondering to herself if there was any way 
to escape sunbonnets, and resolving that she 
would prove to Ted that she was as brave and as 
capable as he was. Just how she could accom- 
plish this she did not know, but the opportunity 
was nearer than she imagined. 

“ There’s mother ! ” exclaimed Ted, taking off 
his hat and waving it, and calling: “ Florence 
is safe at home,” and in a moment they had 
reached Mrs. Balfour and were telling her of 
Squire Dickinson’s words when Penny had said 
that it was her fault that Florence had caused 
them so much anxiety. 

“ You could not do better than to be like 
your father, Penelope,” responded Mrs. Balfour. 
“ Squire Dickinson was paying you a com- 
pliment.” 

“ I wish I could be just like him,” declared 
Penny. 

“ Then do not trouble about what Squire 
Dickinson said. He has always shown himself 
a kind neighbor, and he does not find it easy to 
be a Tory when so many of his neighbors are 
loyal Americans,” said Mrs. Balfour. 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 29 

“ Florence is coming to help make candles 
to-morrow,” said Penny, “ and Ted is going to 
take us for a sail in the afternoon, if you're 
willing, mother,” and Penny smiled, quite sure 
that her mother would give her consent. But 
Mrs. Balfour shook her head. 

“ I do not believe it is safe for you children 
to be out in the boat, especially as Ted goes so 
near the British vessels,” she replied. 

“ But, mother, they wouldn't trouble us. 
And if they did, Squire Dickinson would soon 
let them know that Florence was English,” said 
Ted. 

“ She would let them know that herself,” 
laughed Penny. 

“ I will see when to-morrow comes,” said Mrs. 
Balfour, and Ted and Penny smiled at each 
other, for they were both sure that their mother 
would not prevent their going. 

At supper-time Penelope was so absorbed in 
her own thoughts that she really did not know 
what her mother and Ted were talking about, 
and as she helped her mother clear the table 
and wash the blue-bordered dishes she had 
hardly a word to say. 

“ You are all tired out, dear child,” Mrs. Bal- 


A LITTLE MAID 


3 ° 

four said, as Penny gave a long sigh. "You 
had best go early, to bed,” and the little girl was 
quite ready to obey. 

Ted was busy with the milking, and Mrs. 
Balfour was setting out the big yellow bowls 
into which she would strain the milk, when 
Penny mounted the narrow stairs to her own 
room. The long June twilight filled the cham- 
ber with a pleasant light. From her window 
she could see the pine woods, and get a glimpse 
of the chimneys and roof of Stone House. For 
a moment Penny stood looking out, then she 
tiptoed carefully to the door and crossed the 
narrow passage to Ted's room. 

“ If mother hasn't cut them up for carpet- 
rags,” she whispered to herself, as she rum- 
maged through a red sea-chest which stood at 
the foot of Ted's bed. In a moment she had 
pulled out a pair of boy’s well-worn gray home- 
spun trousers; and now Penny smiled happily 
as she cautiously closed the chest and hurried 
back to her own room. She put the trousers 
under the straw bed, and then slipped off her 
stout shoes and cotton dress, and made ready 
for bed. She had planned to lie awake until 
Ted and her mother were safe in bed, and then 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 31 

dress herself in her brother’s outgrown clothes. 
Then, if she looked as much like a boy as she 
hoped to do, she was sure that she would have 
the courage to carry out her great plan of taking 
her brother’s boat, crossing Narragansett Bay, 
and visiting her father. If Ted would consent 
to let her go with him, all the better ; but if he 
would not Penny had resolved to go alone. But 
the day had been a very busy one, Penny was 
tired, and she had been in bed but a few min- 
utes when she was fast asleep, and when she 
awoke the morning sun was shining into the 
room, and she could hear her mother moving 
about in the kitchen ; and in a moment Ted 
was calling : “ Time to get up, ‘ Smiling Sally.’ ” 


CHAPTER III 


A RESCUE 

“What time is Florence coming ?" asked 
Mrs. Balfour, as she helped Penny to the oat- 
meal porridge and milk which was their usual 
breakfast. 

“ I don't know," answered Penny. “ She 
just called to me that she would come." 

“ I'll bet the squire won't let her," grumbled 
Ted. 

But Penny had hardly finished helping her 
mother with the morning's work of putting the 
little house in order when she saw Hitty and 
Florence coming across the field. 

“ Goody I Goody ! Here's Florence ! " she 
called, and ran to the door to welcome her. 

“ Missy Florence can stay till three o'clock 
this afternoon," explained the smiling darkey, 
“ then I'll come an' fetch her home." 

“ I don't want you to come, Hitty ! " declared 
Florence. “ I can go home by myself." 

32 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 33 

Hitty nodded, but repeated that she would 
come at “ 'xactly three o'clock/ 7 and before 
Florence could make any further objections 
Hitty had started briskly toward home. 

“ How nice you look, Florence ! ” exclaimed 
Penny admiringly, looking at the crisp white 
linen dress, with its embroidered flounce and 
lace-bordered neck that Florence wore. “ But 
I'm afraid you won't have as good a time in 
that dress," she added, a little regretfully. 

“ Why won't I ? " questioned Florence. 

“ Because you'll have to be careful. You'll 
have to be thinking about your dress all the 
time," answered Penny, who had never pos- 
sessed such a dainty dress, even for Sunday 
wear, as Florence now wore. 

“ Oh, I shan't be careful of this," declared 
Florence. “ Grandma made it, and she is al- 
ways making me white dresses. Mother says I 
outgrow them before they are half worn out. 
If I were as big as you, Penny, I'd give you 
some of my dresses." 

A little angry flush came into Penny's cheeks, 
but she did not forget that Florence was her 
guest, and she had made a firm resolve that she 
would never quarrel again with a girl younger 


A LITTLE MAID 


34 

than herself. So she answered pleasantly : 
“ Thank you, Florence, but I have lots of dresses. 
Lots and lots ! ” and pretended not to see Flor- 
ence’s surprised look. For Florence knew as 
well as Penny did that Penny had but two well 
worn cotton dresses, and the stout flannel winter 
dresses of brown, plaided by a scarlet thread. 
But the hot bayberry wax was waiting, and both 
little girls were soon busy and happily occupied 
in dipping the cotton wicks. Now and then a 
splash of hot wax fell on the aprons which Mrs. 
Balfour had tied around their necks. By the 
time the candles were finished and carried into 
the cool cellar the little girls were very warm 
and tired, and quite ready for a spice cake and 
a glass of cool milk, which they enjoyed sitting 
on the broad door-step. The midday meal 
would not be ready for an hour, so when the 
milk was finished Penny suggested going down 
to the shore to look at Ted’s boat. 

“ Are we going sailing after dinner ? ” asked 
Florence as they stood on the smooth beach of 
the sheltered little cove where Ted’s boat was 
pulled up just above the high-water mark. 
“ What a funny name for a boat ! ” exclaimed 
Florence, reading the letters painted on the side 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAY 35 

of the boat. “ * M-o-d-e-e-r-f.’ Is it an Indian 
name?” 

“ Your grandfather said it was when he read 
it,” answered Penny, looking down. “ Ted says 
we’ll sail out toward Prudence Island after din- 
ner.” 

“ I’ve never been sailing ! ” declared Florence, 
her eyes sparkling at the thought of the delight- 
ful experience that was before her. 

“ Florence Dickinson ! What a shame ! ” ex- 
claimed Penny, who could row a boat as well as 
Ted, and who was quite sure that she could 
manage the sail if Ted would only let her try. 
“ Well have a little row before dinner,” Penny 
declared. “ Come help me push the boat into 
the water.” 

The tide was already lapping the stern of the 
“ Modeerf,” and it was an easy matter to float 
the small boat. 

“ You hold her while I get the oars,” said 
Penny, running up the shore to the bunch of 
low-growing spruce trees behind which Ted 
usually hid them. “ Now climb in, Florence,” 
she commanded, after the oars were in the boat. 

Florence obeyed, and Penny quickly followed 
her. Picking up one of the oars she pushed the 


36 A LITTLE MAID 

boat clear from the shore, and then skilfully 
made ready to row. 

“ Oh, Penny, you can do anything, can't 
you ! ” exclaimed the happy Florence, looking at 
her companion with admiring eyes. 

“ I can do more without a sunbonnet than I 
can with one,” replied Penny, who had left the 
blue sunbonnet on its peg, and was at that very 
moment vowing to herself never to wear it again. 
“ We won't go out of the cove,'' Penny contin- 
ued. “ I'll just row you to the point and back, 
because there won't be time to go far before din- 
ner.'' 

The point was a low projection of rocks 
which formed one side of the cove. As Penny 
rowed toward it the smile faded from Florence's 
face, and she leaned forward, her eyes fixed on 
something which Penny, facing her, could not 
see. 

“ What is it, Florence ? What is it ? ” she 
asked sharply, at the same moment resting on 
her oars and looking over her shoulder. 
“ Ted !'' she gasped, picking up the oars and 
rowing with all her strength. 

“ He's gone ! ” gasped Florence. 

In an instant Penny had shipped her oars. 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 37 

“ You sit right still, Florence,” she commanded, 
and rising carefully to her feet she slid over the 
side of the boat and struck out toward a widen- 
ing circle in the water where Ted had disap- 
peared. At the first stroke she saw him come to 
the surface and her voice rang across the quiet 
water, “ Kick, Ted, kick,” for she remembered 
the many lessons their father had given them in 
the art of taking care of themselves in swim- 
ming. In a moment she was near enough for 
Ted to rest his hand on her shoulder. 

“ Cramps,” he whispered. 

“ It isn’t very deep, Ted. Keep your head 
up. I’ll tow you in.” 

Penny was holding Ted’s head well above the 
water. Both the children had been taught not 
to lose their presence of mind in case of emer- 
gencies, and now it served them in good stead. 
Treading water and keeping Ted’s head clear 
Penny made slow progress toward the boat 
where Florence sat frightened and helpless. 
“ Grab hold of Ted’s shoulder when he gets near 
enough,” Penny called out. 

Ted was breathing with great difficulty, but 
he managed to grasp the side of the boat and 
with the help of Florence and his sister clam- 


A LITTLE MAID 


38 

bered over the side and fell in a shivering heap. 
“ Row to the point/' he whispered. 

Fortunately the point was but a few yards 
distant, and as the boat touched the shore Ted 
scrambled out and ran to the place where he 
had left his clothes. He often took a swim after 
his morning work and this was his first mishap. 
As he rubbed himself vigorously with his cotton 
shirt and then slipped on his homespun trousers 
he said to himself that Penny was the bravest 
sister in the world. 

“ I'd have gone under for good, Pen, if you 
had waited another minute," he said as they 
again took their places in the boat. 

Penny, her skirts and hair still dripping, in- 
sisted on being oarsman. “It was Florence 
who saw you first," Penny responded. “ Oh, 
Florence, your pretty dress is all wet," she added, 
looking at the drabbled linen flounce which had 
been so smooth and white an hour ago. 

“ I don’t care. What’s a dress? " said Florence. 
“ Just think^enny, if you had not been able 
to swim Ted would have drowned." 

“ Pen's all right ! " declared Ted. “ She can 
do anything ; she's just like father." 

Penelope was too happy to notice the discom- 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 39 

fort of her wet clothing. To have Ted safe, and 
giving her the highest praise that it was possible 
to give any one made her smile more than ever. 
“ Now,” she thought to herself, “ Ted will let 
me go with him when he goes to see father.” 

“ For pity’s sake, Penelope ! What have you 
been doing?” exclaimed Mrs. Balfour as the 
dripping little figure stood in the kitchen door. 
“ Here you are, wet as a drowned kitten, and 
looking perfectly delighted with yourself.” 

“ Pen pulled me out of the water,” explained 
Ted. 

“ She saved his life ! ” declared Florence ; and 
Mrs. Balfour’s questions soon brought out all 
the story. 

She hurried Penny up-stairs to put on dry 
clothes, and then turned to Ted, 

“ Theodore, I do not want you to go in swim- 
ming alone, or unless some older person is near 
at hand,” she said in a serious tone. 

“ Oh, mother! ” objected Ted. “ I can’t always 
hunt up somebody when I want to^vim.” 

But Mrs. Balfour was in earnest, and at last 
Ted promised. 

Neither Florence nor Penny wanted to go 
sailing that afternoon, and Ted was not feeling 


A LITTLE MAID 


40 

his usual energy. He threw himself down on 
the comfortable lounge in the sitting-room as 
soon as he finished dinner, and when Hitty 
came to take Florence home he was still sleep- 
ing soundly. 

“ He will wake up feeling as good as new,” 
Mrs. Balfour said when Penny tiptoed into the 
sitting-room and came out saying that he was 
fast asleep. “ We’ll take our knitting and sit 
under the big oak,” said Mrs. Balfour. 

Both Penny and her mother were knitting 
woolen socks for the American soldiers, and 
many other women all over the land were doing 
the same ; but all were not knitting for the 
Americans, or “ rebels,” as the English called 
them, for many of the settlers sympathized with 
the Tories, and were eager to defeat the Ameri- 
cans, and to give their help to the English, 
under whose rule the Colonies had enjoyed so 
much prosperity. 

The big oak was but a short distance from 
the Balfour house. It was a huge tree, measur- 
ing many feet in girth, and its wide-spreading 
branches made a pleasant circle of shade. Mr. 
Balfour had fixed a wide seat about the trunk 
of the tree, and Penny and her mother liked to 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAY 41 

sit there with their work on warm days. A 
few years ago it had been Penny’s playhouse, 
where she brought her rag dolls and her bits of 
broken china. But Penelope was nearly twelve 
now, and was quite sure that she had outgrown 
dolls and playhouses, although now and then 
she would ask Florence to bring her beautiful 
dolls to “ Oak House,” as they called the tree, 
and Penny would bring out her loved rag doll, 
which she had named “ Martha Washington,” 
and quite forget that she was so nearly grown up. 

From their seat under the oak tree Mrs. 
Balfour and Penny could see a bit of the high- 
way that led to Warwick. Penny was telling 
over the adventure of the morning, and their 
busy needles made a pleasant sound as they 
darted quickly back and forth. Suddenly Mrs. 
Balfour stopped knitting and pointed toward 
the road. “ Look, Penny ! ” she said. “ There 
is a party of mounted soldiers coming this 
way.” 

“ Perhaps father is coming,” exclaimed Penny, 
coming nearer to her mother and looking eagerly 
toward the road. 

“ No,” responded Mrs. Balfour sadly. u Amer- 
ican soldiers cannot ride in scarlet coats and 


A LITTLE MAID 


42 

plumed hats, as these men ride. They are 
British soldiers.’" 

“ Will they come here, mother?” asked 
Penny anxiously. 

“ Unless they are bound on a visit to Stone 
House,” replied her mother. 

But these soldiers were not bent on a visit ; as 
they came nearer Mrs. Balfour could see that 
before them they were driving a small flock of 
sheep and several cows. 

“ Put your knitting under the seat, Penny, 
and run and do exactly as I tell you. Hurry ! 
Run into the field and drive both the cows into 
Squire Dickinson’s pine woods. Drive them in 
as far as you can and stay there with them until 
Ted or I come for you. Run ! ” 

Penny thrust her big ball of gray wool and 
the half-finished sock under the seat and darted 
away. Mrs. Balfour hid her own work, for she 
knew of more than one loyal American woman 
whose knitting had been snatched from her 
hands by a British soldier. She left the shade 
of the tree and walked toward the stone wall 
which separated the Balfour place from the road, 
and when the driven sheep and cattle were abreast 
of the wall she stood at the gate watching them 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 


43 

go by. Two soldiers were driving the creatures 
along at a good pace, while behind them a 
young officer with three other soldiers rode 
more slowly. It was evident they meant to 
stop at the Balfour farm. The cattle and the 
two soldiers passed, but the young lieutenant 
and his men drew rein directly in front of Mrs. 
Balfour. The officer touched his cap with a 
graceful salute. 

“ This is a fine country for good cattle, 
madam,” he said smilingly. “ If you are a 
loyal woman you will be glad to help the Eng- 
lish army by the gift of a few sheep or a fat 
steer or cow ; and if you, by unfortunate chance, 
are the wife or daughter of a rebel, we shall re- 
joice to take whatever we can.” His com- 
panions laughed, and the young officer smiled 
as if pleased at his own wit. 

Mrs. Balfour received his salutation with 
grave courtesy. “ You will find neither fat 
steer nor cow in my barn or pasture,” she re- 
plied. “ I have indeed a half-dozen sheep feed- 
ing on Bayberry Hill, and I would ask you to 
spare me those, that I may spin their wool and 
weave garments for my little son and daughter. 
Squire Dickinson can better provide you.” 


44 


A LITTLE MAID 


“ Indeed he can,” replied the officer. “ He is 
a good Tory, and will no doubt give us a few 
sheep when we ask him. But we’ll not stop to- 
day ; and you may keep your sheep, madam, till 
we are in greater need,” and with a bow the 
young soldier and his men rode on. 

Mrs. Balfour watched them out of sight, 
thankful that they had spared her the search 
that soldiers had made of some of her neighbors’ 
places. 

“ Wake up, Ted,” she said, hurrying into the 
house, and the boy’s eyes opened. When his 
mother told him of the soldiers’ visit, and of 
Pen’s driving the cows off to their neighbor’s 
woods he almost believed it to be a dream ; but 
his mother told him to go after Penny, and 
drive the cows to the barn. 

“ We cannot always hope to be so fortunate,” 
she said. “ Some day they will drive off all our 
stock, and then we shall have to make shift as 
best we may.” 

“ Perhaps the Americans will drive the British 
away soon,” responded Ted hopefully. 

Pen recognized her brother’s whistle and an- 
swered it, and the bewildered cows were headed 
toward their stable. 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 45 

“ Hasn't it been an exciting day, Ted ! ” ex- 
claimed Penny. “I wish I could have heard 
mother talk to the British soldiers.” 

“ I’d like to talk to them,” declared Ted, put- 
ting his shoulders back, and trying to look as 
much like a soldier as possible. “ I wish Colonel 
Barton would send General Prescott about his 
business and leave the Colony in peace.” 

“ Do you s'pose father will ever come home ? ” 
questioned Penelope in so sober a voice that Ted 
looked toward her wonderingly. 

“ Of course he will, Smiling Sally. We'll go 
and see him soon, and find out all he can tell 
us. When we bring mother all sorts of mes- 
sages she'll be glad we went,” and Ted nodded 
confidently. 

Pen's face brightened at her brother's words. 
“ You won't go without me, Ted, will you ? ” 
she pleaded. 

“ We'll see,” answered the boy ; but Penny 
felt quite sure that Ted meant for her to go with 
him, and was eager to know when he meant to 
start, and all about his plans. They were now 
in sight of the barn, and saw their mother com- 
ing to meet them, so no more was said of the 
great adventure they had in mind. 


CHAPTER IV 


AN IMPORTANT PAPER 

Early the next morning Squire Dickinson 
appeared at the Balfour farm. He had seen the 
English soldiers pass on the highway, and very 
much feared that his neighbor's cows and sheep 
had been driven off. “ 'Tis a pity a man so 
worthy in other ways as Peter Balfour should 
be a rebel to his King/' thought the old Tory 
as he approached the pleasant farmhouse. For, 
as Mrs. Balfour had told her children, the squire 
was a good neighbor. 

Ted was busy hoeing the weeds from his flour- 
ishing vegetable garden, and the squire stopped 
to question him as to the soldiers' visit. In one 
hand the squire carried a small package, and, as 
he saw Ted, he slipped it into the big pocket of 
his full-skirted coat. 

“ Mother says that the young officer was 
polite," Ted admitted, rather unwillingly, in 
answer to the squire's questions, “ and they did 
no harm." 


46 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 47 

u You can trust an English officer ! ” declared 
Squire Dickinson, straightening his thin shoul- 
ders. He was a tall, slender man, with closely 
cut gray side whiskers and keen gray eyes, and 
as Ted looked at him the boy thought to him- 
self that the squire probably looked like the 
English Dukes who wished to keep America as 
a colony. 

“After they get all they want,” Ted re- 
sponded. “ They were driving a lot of cows 
and sheep, so spared ours. But they’ll come 
again.” 

The squire scowled at the “ young rebel,” as 
he called him in his thoughts, but answered 
that he was glad Mrs. Balfour’s cows were safe. 

“ Will you be sailing about the harbor this 
afternoon, Theodore,” he questioned, “in the 
‘ Modeerf ’ ? ” 

Ted always smiled when the squire mentioned 
the boat’s name, for he could imagine how the 
old gentleman would scowl if he knew that 
“ Modeerf” was the word “ Freedom ” reversed. 
Penny was the only one in the secret, and when 
people said they supposed “Modeerf” must be 
one of the old Indian names, the brother and 
sister were very quiet, and made no response. 


A LITTLE MAID 


“ If you are going out I’d like to sail with 
you,” continued the squire. “ My own boat is 
too big and clumsy for me to manage, and black 
Aleck is busy.” 

Ted was so fond of sailing that he did not 
think it at all strange that Squire Dickinson 
should want to go with him, and was rather 
pleased at the suggestion, and answered cor- 
dially : 

“ Yes, indeed, sir, if you don’t mind Penny’s 
going. I promised to take her.” 

“ Not at all ! ” said the squire. “ I’ll be at the 
cove at whatever time you say.” 

“ About two o’clock, sir,” said Ted, and the 
squire, saying that time would suit him, walked 
slowly back to Stone House. 

Ted worked on at his hoeing until Penny 
came to bring him a cool drink. “ Mother says 
not to hoe much longer,” said the little girl ; 
“ the sun’s too warm.” . 

“ I like it,” declared the boy, “ but I’ll come 
up to the house when this row is finished. 
What do you think, Pen? Squire Dickinson 
wants to go sailing with us this afternoon.” 

“ What for ? ” questioned the little girl. 

“ Oh, just for a sail, I suppose,” said Ted. 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 49 

Penny wondered to herself why the squire 
should want to sail in Ted's little boat, but 
neither of the children imagined the real rea- 
son. Had Ted known that the little packet in 
the squire's coat pocket contained a letter to 
General Prescott warning him that the Ameri- 
can soldiers were planning to recapture New- 
port, and that the squire meant to have Ted 
sail him near enough to one of the British ves- 
sels to get the letter on board, Ted would not 
have welcomed the squire's company. 

When Mrs. Balfour heard of the squire's re- 
quest she seemed pleased. “ Perhaps he wishes 
to let those British sailors see that you have 
friends, Ted. It is a kind thought, for your boat 
will not be over-comfortable for the squire," she 
said. 

Just before two o'clock Ted and Penny were 
at the cove. Ted put up the mast, put the oars 
under the seats, and hoisted the sail. The little 
boat was ready to put off as soon as the squire 
appeared, and he was promptly at hand. 

Penny, who had again left her sunbonnet on 
its peg behind the kitchen door, sat in the bow, 
Ted was in the stern, and the squire on the mid- 
dle seat. It was not a very comfortable seat. 


A LITTLE MAID 


50 

There was hardly room for his long legs, and 
he had to move often to avoid being hit by the 
boom, as Ted brought the boat about to catch 
the wind. Nevertheless the squire seemed well 
pleased, and spoke of the fine harbor, compli- 
mented Ted on his skilful management of the 
boat, and told Penny she ought to have worn 
her sunbonnet. 

As he moved about on his seat the edge of a 
thin package showed above the top of his coat 
pocket. It worked up until Penny, who faced 
the squire’s back, could see that it was a letter. 
As the little girl watched it, wondering if she 
ought to tell the squire that a package was 
nearly falling from the pocket of his coat, her 
eyes became fixed upon the words written across 
it in the squire’s bold hand. “ Concerning Bar- 
ton’s Rebel Troops,” read Penny. “ Forward to 
General Prescott.” 

“ Oh ! ” exclaimed Penny, in such a tone of 
horror that the squire twisted about sharply to 
look at her, and Ted asked : 

“ What’s the matter, Pen ? ” 

“ Nothing,” stammered Penny, who had seen 
the packet drop from the squire’s pocket at his 
sudden turn. It lay close to her feet. 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 51 

Ted was watching the sail, the squire’s back 
was toward her, she stooped and picked it up, 
holding it close in a fold of her cotton dress, 
and wondering what she should do with it. 

The “ Modeerf ” was now going swiftly before 
the wind straight toward one of the British ves- 
sels. The squire smiled to himself, thinking 
the “ young rebel ” was playing into his hands 
in good shape. 

“ Going to run down the king’s ship, Theo- 
dore ? ” he asked. 

“ I’d like to, sir,” responded Ted. 

“ Let’s see how near you can run,” continued 
the squire still smiling, and reaching into his 
pocket for the letter. 

As Penny saw this movement she gave a little 
shiver of fright, for she thought he would at 
once discover his loss and begin a search. 
Penny now understood the squire’s plan as 
well as if he had told it to her. The package 
that she held so closely in the folds of her 
cotton dress was information about her father’s 
regiment which Squire Dickinson meant to give 
to one of the British sailors. And he had 
asked to come in the “ Modeerf ” for that pur- 
pose. Penny forgot all the squire’s past kind- 


A LITTLE MAID 


52 

ness ; she forgot that he was Florence’s grand- 
father. She looked at his thin shoulders and 
whispered, “ Tory, Tory,” under her breath, 
thinking of her old neighbor only as a man 
who wanted to harm her father, and betray her 
country. 

The “Modeerf” was now very close to the 
British ship, that swung idly at anchor in the 
pleasant harbor. Several sailors were leaning 
over the side watching her approach. 

“ Hello, Sammy ! Coming to call ? ” called 
one of the men. 

“They mean me, sir,” explained Ted. “I 
often come near as this.” 

The squire raised his hat. “ God save the 
King ! ” he called. 

“ Aye, aye, sir. God save the King ! ” re- 
sponded the men. 

Ted’s face flushed angrily. He did not think 
it was fair of the squire. 

“ Bring your boat alongside, and we’ll make 
them a visit, Ted,” suggested the squire, whose 
hand had gone back to his pocket again, and to 
Pen’s amazement drew out another blue packet 
so exactly like the first that she tightened 
her clasp to be sure that in some strange man- 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 53 

ner it had not traveled back to the squire's 
pocket. 

“ No I No ! Don't, Ted ! " Pen exclaimed. 

The squire turned his head to frown at her, 
and then brought out from his pocket a number 
of good sized pebbles ; tying these with the 
packet into his big silk handkerchief he stood 
up in the boat and hurled it through the air. 
It went over the ship's rail and struck the deck. 

“ A note for your captain, my good men," 
called the squire. 

At that moment Ted brought the boat about 
so sharply that the squire stumbled, clutched at 
the mast, and nearly upset the boat. He 
muttered angrily at Ted's clumsiness as he re- 
gained his seat. But Ted made no answer. He 
thought to himself that now he understood the 
squire ; he had used Ted and the “ Modeerf " to 
carry information to the British. 

If Ted had known that the paper hurled aboard 
the British vessel was a list of groceries needed 
by the squire's household, and addressed to a 
Providence grocer, he would have been as pleased 
as the ship's captain was puzzled. 

Ted sailed straight for home, and no word was 
spoken until the squire stepped on shore. 


54 


A LITTLE MAID 


“ Much obliged,” he said ; “ glad to get a 
chance to send a word of greeting to my English 
friends,” for he did not for a moment imagine 
that either Ted or Penny had suspected his 
errand. 

Ted busied himself with the boat until the 
squire was out of hearing ; then he turned to 
Penny, and the little girl realized that Ted was 
more angry than she had ever seen him. 

“ Do you know what the squire has made me 
do ? ” he exclaimed angrily. “ He’s made me 
take him out near enough to that old vessel so 
he could throw some message aboard.” 

“ That’s what he thinks he has made you do,” 
responded Penny, “ and he did throw something, 
but this is what he thought he was throwing,” 
and she held out the blue covered packet toward 
her brother. Ted grasped it eagerly, and began 
reading the inscription aloud. 

“ Hush ! ” warned Penny, and he finished 
reading in silence. Then Penny told him how 
it had worked out of the squire’s pocket, and 
how she had hidden it in the folds of her dress. 

“ Colonel Barton ought to have this right 
away,” decided Ted. “ When that captain finds 
out that the paper doesn’t amount to anything 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 55 

he’ll come ashore and ask the squire about it. 
Penny, I’m going to sail over to Tiverton to-day 
and carry this paper to Colonel Barton.” 

“ I’m going too,” said Penny. “ You promised. 
Are you going to tell mother, Ted ? ” 

“ No, Pen, mother mustn’t know, for the 
squire is sure to question her, and it would be a 
lot better if you would stay at home,” said Ted. 

“ They would question me. Like as not the 
squire would ask me if I had seen a blue packet,” 
responded Penny. 

“ That’s so,” agreed Ted, “ but we mustn’t 
waste time. We must start right off. What 
will we do with this paper ? ” 

Pen suggested Ted’s blouse as a hiding place, 
or her own dress, but Ted shook his head. 

“ Where is your sunbonnet, Pen ? You could 
rip the lining and put it in and they’d never 
find it,” he suggested eagerly. “ Run up to the 
house and fix it, and see if you can’t manage to 
get some bread, too, and a blanket. You know 
mother planned to walk to the village this after- 
noon.” 

“ Mayn’t I write a note and just say 1 Don’t 
worry ’ ? ” asked Penny. 

“ Yes, but not a word more. Remember, not 


A LITTLE MAID 


56 

a word more,” said Ted, and Penny ran swiftly 
toward the house. 

There was no sign of her mother, and the little 
girl found the door-key under the door-step, 
where it was always concealed when all the 
family were absent ; she unlocked the door and 
entered. Speeding up the stairs she pulled a 
gray woolen blanket from the bed ; then she 
pulled the homespun trousers from their hiding 
place and rolled them in the blanket and hurried 
back to the kitchen. She saw Ted’s coat hang- 
ing beside her sunbonnet, and that too was rolled 
up in the blanket together with a loaf of bread, 
a tin cup and some squares of molasses ginger- 
bread. 

Penny now hunted through her mother’s 
work-basket for scissors, thread and needle. She 
ripped the lining of her sunbonnet and carefully 
slipped the blue letter in between the lining and 
the outside. Then she sewed up the opening as 
neatly as possible, and was just putting the sun- 
bonnet on when she heard steps, and looked up 
with frightened eyes, wondering if it would be 
her mother or Squire Dickinson. But it was 
Ted. 

“ You’re awfully slow,” he exclaimed. “ Is 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 57 

this the blanket ? Come on. I saw mother ; 
she'll be here in five minutes," and he grabbed 
the bundle and fled toward the shore. But 
Penny found a bit of paper and her mother's 
pencil and wrote : “ Don't worry," and fastened 
it to the case of the clock ; then she too ran 
swiftly across the field, and when Mrs. Balfour 
reached her gate she saw Ted's boat sailing out 
toward Prudence Island. 


CHAPTER V 


THE BLUE SUNBONNET 

“ I wonder where those children are off to 
now,” Mrs. Balfour said to herself with a little 
smile as she read Penny’s “ Don't worry.” 
“ They will probably be late to supper. They 
are good, thoughtful children,” she added, look- 
ing at the little scrap of paper. But, when the 
hour for supper came, Mrs. Balfour was surprised 
to find that her loaf of bread had vanished, and 
that the freshly-baked gingerbread had dis- 
appeared. “ My soul ! ” she exclaimed, looking 
into the empty jars as if unable to believe in 
their emptiness. Then she looked about the 
kitchen. What was her work-basket doing there, 
with its contents in such disorder ? She picked 
up the scissors, and set the basket back on the 
little stand under the clock, resolving to speak 
very firmly to Ted and Penny on their return. 
“ Late afternoon is no time for them to start off 
for a picnic,” she said aloud as she started up the 
kitchen fire, and began to mix up a “johnny- 
68 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 


59 

cake ” of coarse corn meal, resolving to herself 
that she would make no more gingerbread for a 
week to come as a visible sign of her displeasure. 

As the twilight deepened Mrs. Balfour drove 
the cows up from the field, took care of the 
milk, and did the chores which Ted always took 
so much pride in doing. It was the last day of 
June, and the day lingered, so that when every- 
thing was finished it was still light, and Mrs. 
Balfour decided to climb Bayberry Hill, having 
no doubt that she would see the little “ Modeerf ” 
coming swiftly toward land. But there was no 
boat to be seen on the calm waters of the bay. 
A little breeze from the land brought the fra- 
grance of many growing and blossoming things, 
and as the evening stars began to show in the 
pale sky it would have seemed a picture of peace- 
ful beauty had it not been for the shadow of the 
dark war-ships in the distance. 

“ Don't worry." Mrs. Balfour repeated Pe- 
nelope's written message as she walked back to 
the house, and tried to assure herself that her 
children were safe. When she found the blanket 
missing from Penny's bed, evidently hastily 
pulled off, she stared in amazement and a new 
fear entered her heart. 


6o 


A LITTLE MAID 


“ My soul ! ” she exclaimed. “ I do believe 
those children have started off to try and see 
their father ! 1 Don’t worry,’ ” she repeated to 

herself. “ Well, I guess I must try not to. I 
must be sure that their Heavenly Father will 
care for them.” 

By morning Mrs. Balfour had made up her 
mind to say nothing to the Dickinsons of the 
way in which Ted and Penny had left home. 
She was busy with the morning’s work when 
she heard some one say : “ Good-morning, 
Mistress Balfour. Where’s Penny ? ” and she 
looked around to see Florence standing on the 
door-step. 

“ Come right in, Florence,” and Mrs. Balfour 
smiled at the little figure in its spotless white 
dress and fresh sunbonnet ; and then the thought 
of her own little girl made her face grow very 
sober. 

“ Where’s Penny?” repeated Florence, com- 
ing into the pleasant room. 

“ Penny and Ted have both gone away in the 
boat,” replied Mrs. Balfour. 

“ Gone away ? ” questioned Florence with 
startled eyes. 

“They have gone sailing,” answered Mrs. 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 61 

Balfour, “ and I am going up on Bayberry Hill 
to get bay berries for more candles. You can 
come, too, and perhaps we shall see the boat.” 

“ I can stay until noon,” replied Florence ; 
“ perhaps they will come sailing in before that 
time ; and if we see them from Bayberry Hill 
may I not go to the cove to meet them ? ” 

“ Yes, indeed ; we will both go,” responded 
Mrs. Balfour, who was very glad of the little 
girl's company, for it was very hard for her to 
obey Penelope's written message not to worry 
when she thought of her children spending the 
night in an open boat, or perhaps taken on board 
one of the strange vessels. She knew that Ted 
was a good sailor, and Penny well used to a 
boat, and she had little fear of accident, but she 
was afraid of the Tory soldiers. 

“ My grandfather told me to ask Ted if he saw 
a blue letter in the boat ? ” continued Florence. 

“ A blue letter ? ” exclaimed Mrs. Balfour. 

“ Yes,” said the little girl. “ Grandpa says 
if Ted did not find the letter that he must have 
thrown two on board the war-ship.” 

Mrs. Balfour's breath came quickly. She 
understood now what had sent Ted and Penny 
off without a word to her of their errand. 


62 


A LITTLE MAID 


“ Was it a letter of importance ? ” she asked. 

“ Grandpa didn’t say,” responded Florence. 
“ 1 don’t believe it was, for grandpa laughed and 
said the English captain would think he was a 
postman.” 

Nothing more was said about the letter, but 
Mrs. Balfour’s eyes no longer searched the har- 
bor for a sight of Ted’s boat. If the children 
had started for the American camp at Tiverton, 
carrying with them, as Mrs. Balfour now thought 
possible, a letter of importance, who knew what 
might befall them, or when they would return 
home ? She was now seriously alarmed for their 
safety, and realized that if the squire knew that 
Ted and Penny had not been at home since the 
previous day he would at once guess the truth 
and that they would all be in greater danger 
than ever. “ He might even have me arrested 
as a spy,” she thought fearfully. For it was a 
time when neighborly duties and friendship 
were set aside easily, and the squire would not 
forgive Ted and Penny if he discovered what 
they had done. 

“ There comes grandpa to take me home,” 
said Florence, as they came down the hill. The 
squire greeted Mrs. Balfour pleasantly as he 


OF N A RRA GANSE TT BAT 63 

came to meet them, and asked politely as to his 
neighbor’s health. 

“ And where are your young people this 
morning?” he inquired. 

“They are out sailing,” declared Florence, be- 
fore Mrs. Balfour could answer, “and Ted 
did not find a blue letter, did he, Mrs. Balfour?” 

“ I do not know,” Mrs. Balfour managed to 
answer, not looking at the squire. 

“ Of no consequence ; an order for groceries,” 
said the squire. 

“ Do you send your letters by English war- 
ships, Squire Dickinson ? ” Mrs. Balfour asked, 
with a little touch of scorn in her voice. 

“ The only safe way,” answered the squire. 
“ Your son is a fine sailor, Mrs. Balfour. He 
ran the ‘Modeerf’ so near the ship that I was 
able to greet the King’s loyal sailors. Come, 
Florence,” and with another polite bow, Squire 
Dickinson took Florence’s hand and they 
started for Stone House, while Mrs. Balfour en- 
tered her own home, resolved to trust that the 
wisdom greater than her own would protect and 
bring her children safely home. 

At the very hour when Florence and the 
squire were walking through the pine woods 


A LITTLE MAID 


64 

Penny and Ted were sitting behind a big rock 
on the Tiverton shore eating the last crumbs of 
the loaf of bread. The gingerbread had been 
eaten for their supper the night before. 

“ I don’t believe anybody would notice the 
1 Modeerf ’ unless they were trying to hide a boat 
themselves,” said Ted, a little anxiously, as he 
peered down at the rocky shore where they had 
landed the night before. A fair wind had 
favored them until they passed Prudence Island 
and Cannon Point, and then Ted had rowed the 
boat to the shore where they were now eating 
their dry bread and thinking, with a feeling of 
homesickness, of the warm porridge and milk at 
home. 

The night had been warm and starlit, and 
Penny and Ted had slept soundly on a bed of 
moss, behind this big rock, not far from the 
shore. Ted had been glad of his coat, leaving 
the blanket for Penny. 

“What on earth did you bring these old 
things for?” he asked, when he discovered his 
old trousers. 

“ Well, Ted Balfour ! Didn’t you say that it 
would be a lot easier for us to visit father if it 
wasn’t for my being a girl and wearing girls’ 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAY 65 

clothes? ” responded Penny in an injured tone. 
“ And I was going to wear your clothes, and cut 
off my braid so as to be as much like a boy as I 
could.” 

“ Don't you do it ! ” exclaimed Ted. “ Why, 
if you weren’t wearing a sunbonnet I don’t know 
what would happen to us. A boy would look 
pretty in a sunbonnet, wouldn’t he?” 

“ Nobody looks pretty in a sunbonnet,” said 
Penny despondently, “and sleeping in one is 
dreadful,” for Ted had insisted that Penny 
should not remove the blue sunbonnet for even 
a moment ; and its gingham strings were tied in 
a series of knots that Penny was perfectly sure 
could never be untied. 

The brother and sister did not know where 
the American camp was, but Ted was sure that 
he could find it ; and when they had finished 
the bread Penny rolled up the cup, trousers and 
blanket, which she insisted on carrying, Ted 
swung his jacket over his shoulders and, with a 
last look at the little boat, they started along 
the shore in the direction in which they thought 
the camp was located. 

For a time they followed the shore, and then 
made their way up the bank and across a rough 


66 


A LITTLE MAID 


pasture, and from here they could see the white 
tents of the American camp. 

“ We can get there by noon,” exclaimed 
Penny joyfully, “ and they will give us some- 
thing to eat. I’m awfully hungry.” 

“ Now, Penny, I tell you what I think we’d 
better do,” said Ted. “ I had better not go to 
camp with you. I’m a boy, and I had better 
go first and find father and tell him ; and then 
we’ll come and get your sunbonnet. Perhaps it 
wouldn’t be right for a girl to go marching into 
camp ! ” and Ted tried to look very serious and 
superior. 

“ My sunbonnet ! ” exclaimed Penny, tying 
another knot in the gingham strings. “ Well, 
Ted Balfour, my sunbonnet shan’t go one step 
without me. I want to see my father, and I 
want to see Colonel William Barton. And after 
making me wear the horrid thing all night,” 
and one more knot was added swiftly to the 
others. 

“ Stop tying knots in those strings, Pen ; 
I’ll have to cut it off if you keep on,” 
said Ted. “ Come on ; we’ll go a little nearer, 
anyway. But I think you ought to do as I say, 
Pen.” 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 67 

“ Why ? ” Penny asked. “ I found the letter, 
didn’t I ? And I sewed it into this hateful old 
sunbonnet ” 

“ Hush ! ” warned Ted. “ There’s a man ” 

But before he could say more, a man, brown as 
an Indian, bareheaded, and wearing clothes so 
old that Ted wondered how they held together, 
rose up from behind a clump of blossoming 
laurel where he had evidently been sleeping, 
and where he must have heard all that the 
brother and sister had said. 

“ So the letter is sewed into the sunbonnet, is 
it ? ” he asked, smiling down at the two sur- 
prised and frightened children. “ Well, I call 
that a first-rate plan. Whose letter is it ? ” 

“ Squire Dickinson’s,” faltered Penny, and as 
she saw Ted’s scowl, she realized that she ought 
not to have answered the question. At the an- 
swer the man’s face changed, and for a moment 
he did not speak. Then he said, “ And so you 
are taking the squire’s letter to a friend of his, 
I suppose ? ” 

This time Penny kept silent, but Ted an- 
swered, “ I guess you heard us say that we were 
going to the American camp to see our father.” 

“ So I did ! Why, so I did,” agreed the man, 


68 


A LITTLE MAID 


watching the boy’s face sharply. “ I suppose 
you are both good Tory children ? ” 

Ted and Penny looked fearfully at each other. 
Penny was afraid to speak at all, and Ted was 
sure that this man was a Tory spy, and would 
not speak. 

“ I see. Of course you must be, or Squire 
Dickinson would not trust his letters to you. 
What is your father’s name?” demanded the 
man, who was now unsheathing a knife from 
his leather belt. 

Neither of the frightened children responded. 

“ ’Tis a poor business to send children on such 
an errand, even if their father is a Tory spy,” 
whispered the man to himself. “ Well, I’ll not 
urge you to tell. I can find out,” he continued. 
“ Now, as your bonnet strings are so well tied 
’twill be easier to cut them,” and with a careful 
stroke of his knife he cut the gingham strings of 
Penny’s sunbonnet and stood holding it in his 
hand. “ Now,” he said, “ you youngsters go 
back to the squire, and tell him that his letter is 
in good hands. Off with you ! ” and his look 
was so threatening that both Ted and Penny 
turned and ran toward the shore. 

The man, holding the blue sunbonnet, watched 


4 



“ OFF WITH YOU ” 


€ 






























• X 












' 



















OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 69 

them out of sight. Then he turned and moved 
swiftly toward the American camp. “ A good 
morning’s work,” he said to himself. “ These 
must be the children of some Tory spy in 
Colonel Barton’s camp, bringing news.” For 
this man was himself a picket of the American 
camp, and little knew that Ted and Penny were 
as loyal as himself. He blamed himself for be- 
ing too tender-hearted in letting the children go 
free ; but he lost no time in carrying the blue 
sunbonnet to Colonel William Barton, and ex- 
plaining how it had come into his possession. 


CHAPTER VI 


THE WRONG VERSE 

Penny could feel the tears running down her 
cheeks as she fled across the pasture, and 
scrambled down to the rocky shore. Ted was 
just ahead of her, and neither of the children 
spoke until they were again close to the 
“ Modeerf.” 

“ It was all my fault ! I just told that Tory 
all our plan,” sobbed Penny, as she stowed the 
rolled up blanket under the front seat, and took 
her usual place in the boat. Ted did not an- 
swer ; he, too, felt that it was all Penny’s fault, 
“ talking all about her silly sunbonnet,” and he 
made ready in silence for their homeward voy- 
age. As the sail caught the wind, and the boat 
shot out from its safe harbor behind the rocks, 
Penny spoke again. 

“ I s’pose you wish I hadn’t come,” she said. 

“ Never mind, Pen,” Ted responded ; “ but I 
don’t see what that man was doing so near the 
70 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 71 

American camp. But the Tories are every- 
where.” 

Penelope’s face brightened. If Ted was not 
going to scold, she could bear with better cour- 
age the terrible disappointment of not seeing 
her father and Colonel Barton’s camp. 

“ I wish we had opened the letter and read 
it,” declared Ted, as the boat rounded Hog 
Island, and headed straight toward home. 

“ Theodore Balfour ! ” exclaimed Penny ; for 
the Balfour children had been taught that to 
open, or to read, a letter intended for another 
person was an act of dishonesty. 

“ Well, I do I ” repeated Ted. “ Reading a 
letter like that is different. If I knew what 
was in it, I could have managed to reach the 
American camp and told it to father.” 

But Penny shook her head, although she re- 
solved to ask her mother if one had to be just 
as honest with the people with whom their 
country was at war as with other people. 

Mrs. Balfour saw the little boat rounding the 
point and hastened to the shore, her heart filled 
with thankfulness. 

“ Hello, mother ! ” Ted shouted, and Penny 
waved. 


A LITTLE MAID 


72 

“ Just think, Ted, we haven't had much to 
eat since yesterday noon," Penny said, as they 
came near the landing place. 

“ Don't say a word to mother about anything 
until we are in the house, Pen," warned Ted, 
as he swung the “Modeerf" alongside of the 
flat rock where, at high tide, they could step 
ashore. 

“ Oh, mother ! " exclaimed Penny joyfully, 
as her mother's eager arms clasped her close. 
“ You look just the same ! " 

This made both Mrs. Balfour and Ted laugh 
heartily, for Penelope's voice sounded as if she 
had returned from a far journey of many months. 

Penny laughed too, as she stood with her 
mother's arm about her waiting for Ted to un- 
ship the mast, and leave the boat in its usual 
order. 

“ Children, no one knows that you were away 
last night. I thought it best not to tell the 
squire," said Mrs. Balfour as they walked 
toward home. 

“ Good for you, mother ! " exclaimed Ted. 
“ I knew you would make everything all 
right," and he looked at his mother with ad- 
miring eyes. 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 73 

“ It was all horrid,” Penelope began. “ I 
wore my sunbonnet all night, and ” 

“ Pen ! ” came Ted’s warning voice, and 
Penny’s hand went quickly to her mouth, 
and not another word did she speak until 
they had reached the shelter of the little 
house. 

Ted threw the bundle of blanket and clothing 
on the kitchen floor, and ran to the spring-house 
for a bucket of fresh water. 

“ Mother, may I talk now ? ” Penny asked 
eagerly. 

“ Not yet, dear,” responded Mrs. Balfour. 
“ Run up-stairs and change all your things. 
I’ll bring you up some warm water, and as soon 
as you are ready we will have dinner.” 

“ But it is almost supper-time,” responded 
Penny, picking up the bundle and tugging it 
toward the stairs. “ But I am hungry enough 
to eat dinner and supper at once.” 

Penny was glad to bathe her tired feet in the 
warm water, and to put on the freshly ironed 
gingham dress. Then, when her hair was well 
brushed and rebraided, she hurried back to the 
kitchen. Ted, who usually wore moccasins, was 
now barefooted, and his yellow hair was still 


74 A LITTLE MAID 

damp from its recent plunge into a basin of cold 
water. 

As Mrs. Balfour set the platter of steaming 
cream toast on the table, the dish of scrambled 
eggs, and a tumbler filled with jelly, Penny and 
Ted both exclaimed joyfully, and as they took 
their usual seats at the table, Mrs. Balfour smiled 
at their eagerness ; but there was a little mist be- 
fore her eyes, for she was thinking of the many 
unhappy accidents that might have befallen 
the children, who were now safe at home. 

As their mother filled their plates Ted began 
the story of their adventure. Penny did not 
speak. Glad as she was to be safe with her dear 
mother, the little girl was sure that she had been 
the cause of their failure to deliver the letter to 
her father ; and she was resolving to herself 
that she must, in some way, undo the harm she 
had done. Just how this could be done Penny 
did not know, but her thoughts were very busy. 

When she went up-stairs that night Penny 
unrolled the blanket, folded it neatly and laid 
it on a chair. For her mother had said that it 
must be washed before it could again be put on 
the bed. The tin cup was lost, and Penny won- 
dered if it were near the big rock on Tiverton 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 75 

shore, where they had slept the previous 
night. 

Penny hid the old trousers again, for she was 
thinking to herself that she might even yet start 
off, and that it might be safer to wear boys’ 
clothes than girls’. 

When Penny opened her eyes the next morn- 
ing she remembered that it was Sunday. There 
would be no sailing to-day, nor could Florence 
come over for her daily visit. Penny was rather 
glad of this, as she lay half-awake in the com- 
fortable bed wondering if her mother would ex- 
pect her to go to Sunday-school as usual ; and 
as Penny lay thinking of this she remembered 
that she had not learned a verse from the Bible, 
for every member of the Sunday-school was ex- 
pected to recite a verse. 

“ You can’t sleep any longer, children, or you 
will be late for Sunday-school,” called Mrs. 
Balfour. The Sunday-school was held before 
the morning service in the white church at 
Warwick Village, a mile distant from the Bal- 
four farm. 

Ted and Penny had little time to spare. They 
ate their porridge and milk, and started briskly 
off toward the church. Mrs. Balfour watched 


y6 A LITTLE MAID 

them until the turn of the road hid them from 
her sight, and was quite sure that none of the 
children in the Warwick meeting-house would 
be better behaved than Theodore and Penelope. 
But she sighed a little as she remembered that 
Penny must wear her gingham dress to meeting, 
and that Ted’s only boots, in spite of their fine 
coat of grease, were worn and scrubby. 

But neither Ted nor his sister was thinking 
of clothes as they walked along the pleasant 
country road, which crept up a little hill from 
which they could plainly see the British war 
vessel, to whose sailors the squire had called his 
greeting. 

“ She’s getting up sail ! ” Ted exclaimed. 
“Look, Pen. Those Tories care no more for 
the Sabbath than for any other day,” cried the 
young Puritan. 

“ I’m glad they’re going, Sunday or no Sun- 
day,” responded Penny ; “ then the squire won’t 
find out ” 

“ Pen ! ” Ted’s quick exclamation interrupted 
her, and Penny looked quickly behind her, half 
expecting to see the squire himself. 

“ Well, you know what I mean, Ted Balfour,” 
she concluded. 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAY 77 

“ Yes, I do, but I should think you’d had a 
lesson not to talk anywheres about anything,” 
responded Ted. 

Penny felt that, much as she deserved re- 
proof, this was rather severe discipline ; but she 
closed her lips firmly resolved not to speak again 
until they reached the meeting-house. 

“ The British vessel is going down the harbor 
toward Newport,” Ted said ; “ but come on, Pen, 
we must hurry.” 

Ted did not feel much like talking himself, 
and did not notice Penny’s silence. They 
reached the meeting-house in good season, and 
slipped quietly into their seats ; and suddenly 
Penny remembered that she had not learned a 
Bible verse, nor could she remember one ; and 
this so troubled her that she could not follow 
the words of the prayer ; and when she heard 
one after another rise and repeat the required 
verse, she felt her face growing crimson and her 
heart beating in fear. What should she do 
when her own name was called ? And at that 
moment her doom sounded, “ Penelope Balfour ! ” 
To the little girl the voice seemed to come from 
a long way off. 

" Say your verse, dear child,” whispered a 


A LITTLE MAID 


7 8 

kind woman from the seat behind her. “ Stand 
up and say your verse,” and Penny found her- 
self standing. She must say a verse. She shut 
her eyes tight. 

“ Prudence, Patience, Hope and Despair, 

And little Hog Island, right over there,” 

repeated Penny, and sank back into her seat, 
her eyes still shut tight. She wondered if she 
would ever dare to open them upon an insulted 
world. There was a moment’s dreadful silence ; 
a faint titter sounded from a rear seat. Then 
Penny heard the name of another little girl 
called ; and heard a faint voice murmur, “ Be 
ye also perfect, even as your Father in heaven 
is perfect ! ” 

“ Perfect ! ” thought Penny, who believed her- 
self an outlaw. 

Just then she felt a friendly pat upon her 
folded hands, and ventured to look up. The 
minister’s wife was sitting close beside her. And 
now Penny felt the kind hand close over her 
own, and give it a friendly squeeze. Of course 
the minister’s wife could not whisper in Sun- 
day-school, thought Penny, with a sense of con- 
solation in the touch of the cool hand ; and then 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAY 79 

the unbelievable happened ! The minister’s wife 
whispered ! 

“ There is no harm in the verse, dear child,” 
came the kind voice, and Penny drew a little 
nearer to this true friend, wondering to her- 
self if it might not be possible to walk 
out from the meeting-house under this safe 
protection. 

The long session dragged itself to an end, and 
gradually Penny’s breath came naturally, and 
her fear and shame began to grow less. But 
Penny’s thoughts were full of the dreadful 
ordeal of walking down the aisle to the door, 
and of meeting Ted. She was in the midst of 
these unhappy thoughts when she realized that 
the minister’s wife had tightened her clasp on 
her hand, and was saying gently : “ Come, Pe- 
nelope,” and in another moment Penny was 
walking toward the door, keeping very close to 
her friend’s skirts. 

When Ted had heard Penny’s voice reciting 
the verse naming the well-known islands of 
Narragansett Bay he had been almost as terri- 
fied as Penny herself ; and then, hearing the 
half-suppressed titters, and noticing the horri- 
fied expression on the faces of the older people, 


8o 


A LITTLE MAID 


he became ashamed. His face grew very red, 
and he was very angry at his sister. 

“ She can go home alone,” he vowed to him- 
self, thinking that he would hurry from the 
church and go home across lots. Then he 
looked across the room at Penny, for in the 
Sunday-school the boys were on one side of the 
room and the girls on the other. She was look- 
ing down, and as Ted’s eyes restea upon her he 
forgot all about being angry or ashamed because 
she had recited the wrong verse. He could 
only remember how bravely she had come to 
his rescue when he must have drowned but for 
her help. And he suddenly remembered his 
name for her, “ Smiling Sally,” because she was 
always so ready to smile and be happy. And 
Ted made at that moment a resolve which he 
never afterward forgot — a resolve that, no matter 
what happened, he would stand by Penny ; and 
when the little girl reached the church door her 
brother stood there waiting for her, and even 
smiled at her. 

The minister’s wife looked at him approv- 
ingly, and bent over and kissed Penny’s cheek 
as she said good-bye. 

“ I am coming over to see your mother one 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 81 


day this week, and ask her to let you make me 
a visit, dear child,” she said, and stood watch- 
ing Ted and Penny as they started, hand in 
hand, for home. 

“Theodore Balfour will make a fine man,” 
she prophesied, as she turned back to the 
church. 


CHAPTER VII 


FLORENCE TELLS A SECRET 

“ I don’t know what made me say that 
verse,” said Penelope, as Ted released her hand 
from his firm clasp. 

“ I do ! ” responded Ted. “ You thought you 
must say something, and that was the only verse 
you could remember. ’Tis a good verse. It 
does but repeat the names of the islands. There 
is no harm in it.” 

Penny now looked at Ted, and there was a 
more hopeful expression in her blue eyes. 
“ The minister’s wife said those very words, 
Ted,” she said, “ but I know the girls and boys 
were all laughing at me.” 

“ Let ’em laugh,” declared Ted. “ I’ll bet 
there’s not a girl in that Sunday-school who 
can swim as well as you can.” 

Penny was now her own smiling self again. 
With the minister’s wife for her friend, and 
with Ted as her champion she was no longer 
82 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 83 

afraid, although she was still sorry and ashamed 
and said again, “ I don’t know what made me 
say it.” But it was in a very different voice 
from her former declaration. 

The brother and sister now began to talk of 
the Tory, as they still believed him to be, who 
had taken the squire’s letter from them. They 
talked in low voices, and now and then stopped 
to look cautiously around and listen ; for both 
the children feared to speak aloud of their ad- 
venture. 

“ Mother talked to me about it this morning,” 
said Ted, “ and she says that perhaps the man 
was an American soldier who thought we were 
Tories ; but I don’t think he was.” There was 
a question in the boy’s tone, as if he almost 
hoped that Penny would agree with their 
mother. But Penny made no response, and 
Ted continued : “ Mother made me promise 
that I would never start off for the American 
camp, or on any other trip, without talking it 
over with her. So I can’t do anything to help 
now, for mother wouldn’t let me go again.” 

“ You help all the time, Ted,” declared 
Penny. “ Mother says that if it weren’t for the 
work the boys and girls do on the farms and in 


84 A LITTLE MAID 

the houses, our soldiers would have nothing to 
eat or wear.” 

“ There comes the squire ! ” exclaimed Ted, 
and drew Penny out of the road for the carriage 
to pass. It was a wide-seated chaise on high 
springs, with a small, high seat in front for the 
driver, where Black Aleck held the reins. 

The squire, Florence and her mother were in 
the chaise, and Florence waved her hand, and 
called out a greeting as the chaise swung by. 

“ I wish we didn’t live neighbors to the 
Dickinsons,” grumbled Ted, as he and Penny 
walked on. 

u Why ? ” questioned the little girl. 

“ Because it makes me feel mean all the time. 
I hate Tories, and the squire’s the rankest Tory 
on this side of the shore, but if he wasn’t a Tory 
I’d like him first-rate, even if he did try to 
make me help the old British,” said Ted. 

When they reached home Mrs. Balfour lis- 
tened to Penny’s account of her sad adventure 
in Sunday-school, and quite agreed with Ted and 
the minister’s wife that it was not the dreadful 
sin Penny had feared it to be. 

“ When I got started I had to say it all,” ex- 
plained Penny. “ I couldn’t stop. Mother, if 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 85 

the minister’s wife really invites me to make 
her a visit may I go ? ” 

“ Yes, indeed ! ” responded Mrs. Balfour ; “ it 
will be a great honor for a little girl to visit the 
minister’s wife ; and she is indeed kind to ask 
you.” And Mrs. Balfour thought to herself 
that she would not refuse the minister’s wife 
the pleasure of a visit, should she really ask it, 
from her little Penelope. For there were no 
children in the minister’s family, and Mrs. Bal- 
four often thought that Mrs. Godfrey must 
sometimes envy her the possession of Ted and 
Penny. 

The remainder of the day passed quietly. 
After dinner Mrs. Balfour and the children 
went to the seat under the big oak tree. 

“ Pen forgot all about wanting to stop at 
Drum Rock to-day,” said Ted, as they walked 
across the field to the tree. 

Drum Rock, a curious boulder, so held in 
the hollow of its stony bed that it could be 
rocked without overturning, was a natural 
curiosity of that part of the Narragansett shore. 
It was about half-way between the Balfour farm 
and the church, in a thick growth of spruce, and 
hard to find unless one were familiar with its 


86 


A LITTLE MAID 


location. Usually Penny insisted on leaving 
the road on their way home from church to 
visit Drum Rock ; but to-day she had not even 
thought of it. This rocking stone was used by 
the Indians as a signal of danger, as it formerly 
made a deep bell-like sound that could be heard 
for a considerable distance. 

Sunday afternoons always seemed the most 
pleasant part of the week to Ted and Penny ; for 
then their father and mother planned some 
special treat for the children. Before Mr. 
Balfour had joined the army, he would often 
take them on some pleasant walk. In winter 
they would gather around the open fire, and he 
would tell them stories of the early days of 
Narragansett Colony, when the red men roamed 
the forests, or built their camps in the clearings. 
For Penny the happiest hour of the whole week 
was the Sunday night supper. For, since she 
was eight years old, it was Penny who prepared 
this simple meal. She stirred up and baked 
the johnny-cake of Indian meal ; she baked the 
potatoes, and now and then made the spice 
cakes which all the family praised and enjoyed. 
It was a time when people were satisfied with 
simple and homely fare ; but the Balfours were 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 87 

sure that their Sunday night supper was all any 
one could ask. 

As the little family sat under the big oak tree 
this Sunday afternoon their thoughts were with 
the absent father, and, after Ted spoke of Drum 
Rock, Penelope said : 

“ Mother, tell us about King Philip/’ 

Other Indian leaders had been called sachem, 
or chief, but this red man was always known as 
King ; and Penny never tired of hearing of him, 
and of Massasoit, that friendly sachem to whom 
the white settlers owed so much, although 
Philip forgot the peaceful precepts of his father. 

“ Begin where King Philip left Massachusetts 
and made a fort on the island in the big swamp 
where he thought no white man could reach 
him,” suggested Ted. 

So Mrs. Balfour repeated the story of the 
beleaguered Indians, led by King Philip, and 
hunted from one fastness to another, and of 
Philip’s returning by stealth to his own home, 
Pocanoket, not many miles from the Balfour 
farm. His fortress and storehouse in the great 
swamp were betrayed by one of his followers, a 
renegade Indian, who, hidden by a December 
snow-storm and finding solid ice upon which it 


88 


A LITTLE MAID 


was possible to cross the swamp, guided a large 
force of settlers to the camp, so that Philip’s 
followers were conquered and many of them 
destroyed. 

“ Those were dreadful times,” said Mrs. 
Balfour, as she finished the story. 

“ Not much worse than these,” declared Ted, 
springing to his feet. “ I heard at the church 
that loyal men were going to drive every Tory 
from the Colony.” 

But Mrs. Balfour would not talk of Tories or 
of “ loyal men.” And Penny was sure that it 
was time to prepare supper. 

“ Ted and I will sit here until we are called 
to supper,” said Mrs. Balfour smilingly, as 
Penny ran toward the house. 

Ted had laid the fire ready to light, and in a 
few minutes Penny had carefully sifted the 
Indian meal into the mixing-bowl and, with her 
apron covering her clean cotton dress, was stir- 
ring in the right proportion of milk and water, 
when she heard her name called from the 
kitchen door. 

“ Penny! ” called the voice, and Penny turned 
quickly to find Florence standing smiling at 
her from the kitchen doorway. “ Penny, do 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 89 

you want me to stay to supper ? ” she asked. 
“ I told mother you wanted me, and she said I 
might. You do want me, don't you, Pen ? ” and 
there was a pleading note in the little girl's voice. 

“ Yes, it's nice to have company,'' replied 
Penny, “ and you can help get supper." Penny 
was sure that no one could be more kind to 
a guest than to bestow such a privilege, and 
Florence's face beamed with satisfaction. 

“ Truly ? " she responded, as if she could 
hardly believe in her good fortune. 

Penny stopped stirring the johnny-cake, and 
looked sharply at her little visitor, then shook 
her head. “ I didn't notice your clothes, 
Florence, when I said that you could help," 
she said. 

“ What's the matter with my clothes ? 99 and 
Florence looked anxiously down at the dainty 
dress of blue muslin, with its ruffles edged with 
delicate lace, and at the broad sash of blue silk. 

“ They are too good," declared Penny, and she 
looked at the pretty muslin disapprovingly. 
“ I shouldn't think you would ever have a 
bit of fun, Florence ; not a single bit," she con- 
tinued, “ for there isn't a minute of the day that 
you're not all dressed up." 


A LITTLE MAID 


90 

Florence seated herself on one of the wooden 
kitchen chairs, and replied despondently, “ I 
don’t have much fun. Do you suppose it’s be- 
cause I have such pretty dresses ? ” 

“ That’s one reason,” said Penny, thinking to 
herself that of course a girl whose father was a 
Tory couldn’t expect to be very happy. 

“ Penny, let me help,” pleaded Florence, 

“just this once ; because — because ” and to 

Penny’s amazement Florence put her hands over 
her face and began to cry. 

“ Stop crying, Florence ! ” commanded Penny. 
“ Of course I’ll let you help. I was only think- 
ing about your clothes. You can set the table 
if you want to ; and,” she continued as Florence’s 
sobs continued, “ you can wash the potatoes and 
put them in the oven.” 

At this generous offer Florence wiped her eyes 
with a tiny handkerchief, and responded : “ I 
wasn’t crying about not helping, and I wasn’t 
crying about my clothes. I was crying about 
something dreadful. It’s a secret,” and she 
looked at Penny hopefully. For a secret, to 
Florence, was a gift to bestow after due persua- 
sion. 

But Penny was now turning the golden mix- 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAY 91 

ture of her corn-cake into its baking tin, and 
made no answer. 

“ It’s a secret,” repeated Florence, sliding down 
from the chair, and coming close to Penny. 

“ The potatoes are in a basket in the shed,” 
said Penny. “ You take that little tin pan and 
bring in six. Pick out small ones. And there’s 
mother’s apron ; you tie it around your neck.” 

“ I don’t want any apron,” declared Florence, 
taking the small pan and starting for the shed. 
“ I don’t care what happens to my clothes.” 

“ Well, you ought to care,” Penny called, 
thinking to herself that if Florence had only 
two well-worn cotton dresses she would not be so 
scornful of pretty muslins. And Penelope sighed 
a little, for she often wished that she could have 
one pretty dress, just one. 

“ Don’t you want to hear my secret? ” asked 
Florence, coming in from the shed, and stum- 
bling over the long apron. 

“ But you can’t tell a secret,” said Penny ; 
“ secrets are never to be told.” 

“ I don’t care,” pouted Florence. “ I’m going 
to tell you, even if grandpa said it was a secret. 
It’s dreadful, Penny ! ” and Florence looked 
quite ready to cry again. 


92 


A LITTLE MAID 


“ I’ll wash those potatoes,” said Penny ; “ the 
oven’s just right,” and she took the pan from 
Florence, looked at its contents and began to 
laugh. “ Oh, Florence ! Don’t you know a 
potato when you see it? These are turnips.” 

“ Penny, listen I ” and Florence grasped 
Penny’s arm and spoke rapidly. “ Grandfather 
is going to run away. Yes, he is. To Boston ; 
and he’s going to take us all with him. We’re 
going to-morrow night ! ” 

The pan fell from Penny’s grasp, and the tur- 
nips rolled over the clean floor. 

“ What is he going to run away for ? ” gasped 
Penny. 

Florence shook her head. “ I don’t know, 
Penny ; but isn't it dreadful ? Perhaps I shan’t 
ever see you again,” and Florence began to 
cry. 

Penelope put her arms about her little friend, 
almost ready to cry herself, and quite forgetting 
that Florence had committed so grave a fault as 
betraying a secret. She entirely forgot the 
johnny-cake in the hot oven, and that it was 
time for supper as she stood trying to comfort 
Florence, and asking eager questions about the 
squire’s plans. 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 93 

44 We are going in the coach, all of us,” Flor- 
ence said. “ Black Aleck is going to drive, and 
Hitty and Jane are going too. Grandpa says 
we may get to Boston and we may not.” 

41 Why, children ! What is the matter? ” and 
Mrs. Balfour stepped into the room, and looked 
at the two little girls. “ And what are these 
turnips doing on the floor ? And what's burn- 
ing?” — and Mrs. Balfour sniffed and looked 
toward the brick oven. 

“ My johnny-cake ! ” exclaimed Penny, quite 
forgetting Florence. 

Mrs. Balfour picked up the turnips, and said 
kindly, “ Don't cry, Florence ; dropping a pan 
of turnips is nothing to cry about.” 

“ Penny dropped the pan,” faltered Florence, 
who began to wish that she had not betrayed 
her grandfather's secret. Perhaps Penny would 
tell Mrs. Balfour, she thought, and then all sorts 
of things might happen ; for Florence now re- 
membered that the Balfours were rebels, and 
that her grandfather's flight had something to 
do with rebels. She ran after Penny. “ You 
mustn't tell. Promise you won't ! ” she whis- 
pered. 

“ I won't tell,” Penny promised, “ but my 


A LITTLE MAID 


94 

johnny-cake is burned to a crisp,” and Penny 
thought to herself that she wished Florence had 
waited until after supper before telling the 
secret. 

“ We shall have to do without hot corn-cake 
to-night,” Mrs. Balfour said ; and when Ted sug- 
gested bread and milk, Penelope agreed eagerly, 
for she could think only of what Florence had 
told her. 

Both the little girls were very quiet at supper, 
and as soon as they had finished their bread and 
milk Penny asked if she might not walk toward 
Stone House with Florence, and Mrs. Balfour 
gave her permission. 

“What's the matter with Florence?” Ted 
asked his mother, as the two little girls started. 

“ I can't imagine,'' replied Mrs. Balfour. 
“ She was crying when I came in.” 

“ Wanted to get supper, perhaps, and Pen 
wouldn't let her,” answered Ted laughingly. 


CHAPTER VIII 


GIFTS 

Florence held close to Penny’s hand as they 
walked across the field. Florence was an only 
child, and Penny was the only little girl whom 
she knew well. Now and then Florence had 
visited with her mother at the home of some 
other wealthy Tory where there were children 
of her own age; but she never felt really ac- 
quainted with those children, and her happiest 
hours were those spent with Penelope and Ted. 
It seemed a very strange and unhappy plan to 
Florence to leave Stone House and the Balfours. 
Even the thought that she would soon see her 
father did little to comfort her. 

“ What makes your grandpa start in the 
night ? ” asked Penny. 

“ I heard him tell mother that we must start 
before the rebels took our horses, and that ’twas 
safer to go without being seen,” answered 
Florence. 


95 


9 6 


A LITTLE MAID 


“ Rebels don’t take horses that don’t belong 
to them. That’s Tories’ work/’ said Penny. 

“ All I know is what grandpa said,” responded 
Florence in so humble a manner that Penny 
clasped her hand more closely, and said kindly : 

“ It’s not your fault, Florence.” 

“ Grandpa said that, now the British ship had 
gone down to Newport, he no longer felt safe. 
He said the rebels taunted him when he drove 
through Warwick Village.” 

This seemed rather dreadful to Penny, though 
she was quite sure that Tories could never be in 
the right. 

“ I don’t suppose I’ll ever come back,” went 
on Florence, “ and you will forget all about me, 
Penny.” 

“ I couldn’t ! ” responded Penelope. “ You 
know I couldn’t forget you, Florence. And 
when everything is all settled right, you will 
come back to Stone House, and father will come 
home and we shall all be happy.” 

“ But it isn’t going to be settled right, never ! 
Grandpa says so. He says that it looks as if the 
Americans would win I ” 

Penny stopped short, and drew her hand from 
Florence’s clasp. 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 97 

“ They ought to win. America doesn’t want 
a king ! ” she declared. 

“ Oh, Penny ! ” and Florence was again ready 
to weep. “ I don’t care, anyway. All I feel 
bad about is leaving you. And I haven’t told 
you the worst. We’re going to England.” 

Penny was now as surprised and troubled as 
Florence could wish. If the Dickinsons sailed 
away to that far-off place, it was indeed unlikely 
that she would ever see Florence again, and 
Penny quickly realized that not to see Florence 
would make a very great difference to her, and 
for a moment she did not speak. 

“ And, Penny, I’m going to give you some- 
thing to remember me by. Something you can 
always keep,” said Florence. “ You’ll take it, 
won’t you ? ” 

Penny nodded. She was afraid that if Flor- 
ence said another word she would cry, and 
Penny did not believe in crying. 

“ 1 am going to bring it to you to-morrow,” 
said Florence, “ and you will always keep it, 
won’t you, Penny ? ” 

Penny nodded again, but her warm clasp of 
Florence’s hand was all the promise Florence 
wanted. 


A LITTLE MAID 


98 

“ Can’t you come and stay all day to-morrow, 
Florence ? ” asked Penny when they had reached 
the stone wall that separated the grounds of 
Stone House from the Balfour field. 

“ Yes, Penny, I am sure I can, for I heard 
mother say that to-morrow every one must be 
up early, and that it would be a busy day. So 
when I tell her that you have invited me to 
stay all day, I know she’ll say yes,” and 
Florence smiled happily at the thought of the 
pleasure of a whole day at Balfour farm. 

The little girls were now sitting on the top of 
the low stone wall. They could see the highway, 
and Stone House with its gardens and terraces. 
As they sat talking happily of what they would 
do on the morrow, they nearly forgot that after 
the morrow Florence would be far away. 

“ There comes Hitty after me,” exclaimed 
Florence, scrambling hastily down on the further 
side of the wall. “ I’ll come early. Good-night, 
dear Pen ! ” 

“ Good-night, dear Florence,” responded Pe- 
nelope. 

As she walked slowly toward home she 
wondered why Florence had said “ Dear Pen,” 
and why she had responded “ Dear Florence”; 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 99 

and she remembered how often they had dis- 
agreed and parted in anger ; and Penny’s face was 
very sober and she wished with all her heart that 
she had always been kind to her little friend. 

When the child went to bed that night she 
lay long awake thinking of the journey on 
which Florence was so soon to start, and of the 
gift Florence would bring on the next day. 
Penny thought over her own few possessions for 
some remembrance for Florence. 

“ I can’t give her the gold acorn pin, for 
Grandma Balfour left me that in her will ; and 
I can’t give her my silver thimble, for my fa- 
ther gave it to me, and that’s all I have, except 
my piece of money,” thought Penelope as she 
lay watching the summer stars through the 
window. Then suddenly she remembered that 
her “ piece of money,” a gold sovereign, was 
her very own to do just as she pleased with. 
Her father had given it to her two years before, 
and Penny kept it safely in a little box of 
carved wood in the drawer of the light stand 
that stood near the head of her bed. 

“ I’ll give that to Florence. Then she can 
always keep it to remember me,” and now 
Penny was ready for sleep. 


IOO 


A LITTLE MAID 


It was early when she awoke the next morn- 
ing. She could hear a sleepy bird in its nest in 
the elm tree, giving a few half-hearted notes to 
the dawn, but no other sound. 

“ I'll start the fire,” thought Pen gleefully, 
for both she and Ted were eager to help with 
the household work ; but it was usually Ted who 
was up first, and Penny smiled as she tiptoed 
about her room thinking that this morning she 
would surely be first. But as she stepped into 
the little passageway there was Ted just going 
down the stairs. 

Ted looked at her in surprise. “ You must 
have been as still as a mouse,” he said, “ for I 
didn’t hear a sound.” 

“ Let’s have breakfast all ready when mother 
comes down,” responded Penny. “ And, Ted, 
Florence is coming early, to stay all day, and I 
want her to have the nicest time she ever had. 
What can we do that she will like best of any- 
thing?” 

The brother and sister were standing in the 
kitchen, and Ted exclaimed : “ Well, Pen, I 
didn’t know you liked Florence’s company so 
well. How long is it since you were scolding 
because she was always coming over here? 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT ioi 

And now you’ve invited her to spend the day, 
and afraid that she won’t have a good time. 
What’s happened ? ” 

“ I’ve been mean to Florence,” responded 
Penny. 

“ Girls are funny,” declared Ted, “ but you’re 
all right, Smiling Sally ; I’ll take you out sail- 
ing, if that’s what you want.” 

“ Thank you, ‘ Sammy,’ ” said Penny, who 
sometimes liked to call her brother by the name 
the English sailors had given him. 

“ Well, what early birds ! ” exclaimed Mrs. 
Balfour, coming into the kitchen, “ and the por- 
ridge nearly cooked, and the table set,” and she 
smiled approvingly at her little daughter, and 
listened to Penelope’s plans for the day. 

“ Mother, mayn’t we all go on a picnic? 
Ted has promised to take us sailing. Won’t 
you go with us ? And can’t we have a clam- 
bake ? ” asked Penny, holding out her bowl for 
a second helping of porridge. 

“ Who is going to dig the clams, Miss Pen ? ” 
asked Ted. 

“ I will I ” replied Penny, meekly. 

“ Whatever is the matter with Smiling Sally 
this morning ! ” exclaimed her brother. “ Here 


102 


A LITTLE MAID 


she is up before the birds, gets breakfast, has 
really asked Florence to come, instead of run- 
ning away when she sees her coming, and now 
is willing to dig clams ! ” and Ted waved his 
spoon as if it were a triumphant banner. 

Mrs. Balfour wondered a little why Penny 
was so eager to plan a happy day for Florence, 
but said she was quite ready to go for a picnic, 
and thought a clambake would be the very 
best kind of picnic dinner. “ And I don’t be- 
lieve that you will have to dig the clams either, 
Pen,” she said. 

“ Of course she won’t,” laughed Ted, “ but 
I’ll have to work in the garden till dark if I 
loaf away the day,” and with the air of a very 
busy man Ted hurried out to feed the hens, and 
look after his usual morning’s work. 

“ I’ll just stir up some spice cakes,” said Mrs. 
Balfour, as Penny cleared the table. “ But 
’twill take the last of our molasses, and I do 
not know when we can get more,” and an anx- 
ious look came into Mrs. Balfour’s pleasant eyes. 

The war was making the Colonies very poor ; 
and especially along the shores of Narragansett 
Bay, where British ships blockaded the harbor, 
did the settlers feel the pinch of doing without 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 103 

many of the simple comforts of life. The little 
schooners with their cargoes of sugar and mo- 
lasses could no longer bring supplies to the 
settlements ; and the people had little money 
to pay the high prices for these articles when 
they were to be had. 

But Penny was almost glad that the last of 
their precious store of molasses was to be used 
for Florence’s pleasure ; and when she saw her 
coming across the field Penny ran eagerly to 
meet her. 

“ We’re going on a picnic to Warwick Neck,” 
Penny called as she ran across the field, “ and, 
oh, Florence, you look too nice for a picnic,” 
she concluded, standing in front of her little 
guest and regarding her with admiring eyes. 

Florence did indeed look too nice for the day’s 
pleasure as Penny had planned it. Her white 
sunbonnet had an embroidered edge and flounce, 
her dress was white and heavily embroidered, 
and she wore white open-worked knitted stock- 
ings. Everything the little girl wore had been 
th6 work of her Grandmother Dickinson. 

“ Penny, this is for you to wear always ! ” 
said Florence, unclasping a slender gold chain 
from her neck, and holding it out toward Penny. 


A LITTLE MAID 


104 

There was a tiny locket on the chain and on the 
locket was engraved “ Florence.” Penny looked 
at it admiringly. “ You will keep it, won't you, 
Pen ? ” said Florence. 

“ Yes, always, Florence,” responded Penny, 
in a very serious tone ; and for a moment the 
two little girls stood silent, Penny holding the 
chain and locket in her hands. 

“ I'll clasp it 'round your neck, Penny,” said 
Florence, and now the pretty locket swung over 
Pen's faded blue cotton dress. 

With a quick motion the little girl pulled her 
dress over it. “ Mother and Ted would ask 
about it,” she explained in answer to Florence's 
questioning look. “ To-morrow I'll tell them. 
And, Florence, I have a present for you, to keep 
always,” and Penny drew from her pocket her 
treasured “ piece of money,” and slipped the 
gold coin into Florence's hand. 

“ Oh, Penny, I'll keep it forever. I'll wear 
it on a chain, just as you do the locket,” and 
Florence now tied the coin in her handkerchief, 
and then poked the handkerchief under the top 
of her stocking. 

The two little girls now walked toward the 
house, and both Mrs. Balfour and Ted told 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 105 

Florence that they were very glad to see her, 
and that the picnic was especially for her. 

“ It’s funny,” Ted whispered to his mother as 
they all walked toward the shore, “ the way Pen 
and Florence keep hold of each other’s hands. 
You’d think this was the last day they ever 
expected to see each other,” and Ted, although 
he did not know it, had expressed just what 
Penny and Florence really believed. 


CHAPTER IX 


BROTHER JUNIPER 

Ted headed the “ Modeerf ” toward a wooded 
point about a half-hour’s sail distant. 

“ There’s a little clearing under the big trees 
there,” he explained to his mother, “ and a good 
clam-bed on the shore.” Ted had brought the 
wide-pronged clam digger, and a bucket to put 
the clams in, and there were potatoes to be 
baked in the hot ashes. 

“ I’ve never been to a clambake before,” said 
Florence, as the little boat slid in between two 
long ledges, close to the shore, and Ted held the 
boat steady for his passengers to land. 

“ You must come with us again soon,” re- 
sponded Mrs. Balfour, and wondered why Flor- 
ence should look so serious, and make no re- 
sponse to the invitation. 

Ted made the boat fast, and led the way to 
the clearing he had spoken of. It was very near 
the shore, a pleasant grassy space, sheltered by 
106 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 107 

the overhanging branches of big beech trees. 
There were clumps of fragrant bay berry bushes 
here and there, and the white blossoms of 
Solomon’s Seal showed like tiny white stars 
along the border of the clearing. 

Penny and Florence exclaimed delightedly, 
as they ran here and there, over the beauties of 
the place, and Mrs. Balfour said that it was just 
right for a clambake. For the clearing opened 
on the shore, and here the fire could be built to 
cook the potatoes and clams. 

While Ted went off with his clam-fork and 
bucket to dig the clams Mrs. Balfour and the 
girls gathered rockweed from the ledges, and 
sea-grass from the shore in which the clams were 
to be cooked. Now and then Penny would ex- 
claim when some splash of sea-water fell on 
Florence’s pretty dress; but as Florence only 
laughed Penny soon ceased to think about it. 
Both the little girls quite forgot their secret, and 
were as happy as Penny had wished they might 
be. 

Ted was soon back, his bucket filled with 
white-shelled clams. “ They are beauties ! ” he 
exclaimed, “and this ledge is just the right 
place for a fire.” 


108 A LITTLE MAID 

Ted was well used to making out-of-door fires 
for cooking. First of all he scooped out a good- 
sized hole in the sand at the foot of the ledge 
and lined it with the sea-grass and rockweed. 
Then the clams were put in, well covered with 
rockweed. Over this Ted proceeded to pile on 
the light driftwood, and then lit his fire. 

“ Oh, Ted ! You’ve forgotten your potatoes ! ” 
exclaimed Florence. 

“ Wait and see,” laughed Ted. 

“ Ted isn’t a ‘Brother Juniper/” said Mrs. 
Balfour, as they went back to the shady clear- 
ing to wait for the clams to cook. “ Haven’t 
you ever heard of Brother Juniper ? ” she asked, 
noticing the puzzled look on Florence’s face. 

“ Who was he ? ” asked the little girl. 

“ He was a very good man who lived, many 
years ago, in a little town in Italy called Assisi,” 
replied Mrs. Balfour. “ He lived with other 
good men, and every day these * Little Brothers,’ 
as they called themselves, went about helping 
people, and giving all they could earn to people 
who needed it. They lived in a very small 
house, and one of the Brothers did the cooking. 

“ Brother Juniper thought that it was a pity 
to take so much time in getting food ready to 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 109 

eat, so when he was left in charge one day, a 
plan came into his head. He went about and 
got eggs and chickens and vegetables and meat. 
Then he made a big fire and borrowed a big iron 
pot ; and all the time he sang happily, think- 
ing to himself, 1 1 have found out the best way 
to cook ; and I will cook all this food, and then 
’twill last a week, and nobody will have to 
think about cooking for all that time.’ So he 
hung the pot over the fire, and put in all the 
chickens, feathers and all, and the eggs in the 
shell, and the vegetables. Then he filled the 
pot with water, and soon it was boiling furiously. 
Well, when the others came in tired and hungry, 
Brother Juniper dished out some of the stew 
and brought it for them to eat. He told them 
what he had done, and that they would not 
have to do any cooking for a week. The Brothers 
sniffed at the stew, looked at him, and shook 
their heads. Not a mouthful did they eat, and 
Brother Juniper soon knew the reason. Then, 
because he had wasted so much good food, he 
did not eat a mouthful for several days. And 
that’s why poor cooks are sometimes called 
Brother Juniper,” concluded Mrs. Balfour. 

It was a story that Ted and Penny had often 


no 


A LITTLE MAID 


heard, and they were surprised that Florence 
did not know it. 

Ted replenished his fire, and in half an hour 
raked it from the top of the seaweed and took 
out the steaming clams into a tin pan they had 
brought for that purpose. The shells were open- 
ing, and the picnickers were quite ready to 
begin ; but Ted was putting the potatoes into 
the hot sand, and raking the hot coals over the 
sand-covered oven. 

“ They will be all ready by the time we have 
eaten the clams," said Ted, and so they were. 
Then came the spice cakes ; and with a drink 
of cool water from a spring that bubbled up 
very near the shore, their feast was complete. 

Penny and Florence wandered about in the 
woods gathering big bunches of ferns and Solo- 
mon's Seal and laurel leaves. 

“ Mother will help us make some wreaths," 
said Penny, and this Mrs. Balfour was quite 
ready to do. She showed the little girls how to 
weave the glossy laurel leaves and white blos- 
soms into beautiful wreaths. 

“You can take one to your Grandmother 
Dickinson and one to your mother, Florence," 
Penny suggested as they finished the task. 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT hi 

Ted had put out the fire, and now came up 
and lay down on the grass near his mother. 

“ Tell us another story, mother,” he asked. 

“ Shall I tell you a fable ? About the larks 
and the farmer ? ” responded his mother. 

Ted nodded, and Penny and Florence smiled 
happily at each other, for “ a fable ” was sure to 
be different and more interesting than a story. 

“ There was a brood of young larks in a field 
of corn,” began Mrs. Balfour ; “ the corn was 
just ripe and ready to be gathered, and the 
mother lark, looking every day for the reapers, 
left word, whenever she left the nest in search 
of food, for the young larks to remember and 
tell her all the news they heard. 

“ One day, while she was absent, the farmer 
came to look at the state of the crops. ‘ It is 
full time/ said he, 1 to call in all my neighbors 
and get my corn reaped/ When the mother 
lark came home, the young ones told her what 
they had heard, and begged her to find a new 
home for them at once. ‘ There is plenty of 
time for that/ said the mother lark ; * if he trusts 
to his neighbors there is no hurry ; and his har- 
vest will not be gathered to-day or to-morrow/ 

“ Next day, however, the farmer came again. 


I 12 


A LITTLE MAID 


The sun was even hotter, and the corn more 
ripe, and nothing done, and the farmer became 
very anxious. ‘ There is no time to lose/ he 
said to his son. ‘ We cannot wait for our neigh- 
bors; they have their own work to do. We 
must send at once for our relations. Hurry 
away and ask your uncles and cousins to come 
to-morrow and gather my corn.* 

“ The young larks were now in great fear, and 
told their mother what the farmer had said. 
‘ Oh ! if that is all/ said she, ‘ there is noth- 
ing to be afraid of, for the relations have their 
own harvest to attend to ; but take great notice 
of what the farmer says next time, and be sure 
to tell me.’ She went away early the next 
morning, and when the farmer came there was 
the grain dropping to the ground from over- 
ripeness, and no one to harvest it. He called 
his son. 1 It is no use to wait longer/ he said, 
‘ for either neighbors or relations ; we must set 
to work ourselves without delay.* 

“ When the young larks told their mother 
this she said : ‘ Now it is indeed time to be off. 
For when a man takes up his work himself, in- 
stead of leaving it to others, then you may be 
sure the work will be done.* ” 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 1 1 3 

“That will be just the story to tell Hitty,” 
laughed Florence. “ She thinks a fable is really 
true.” 

“ There is always a truth in it,” responded 
Mrs. Balfour, “ and we must remember to start 
home as soon as the tide turns.” 

“ That’s so,” declared Ted, jumping up and 
running down to the shore, where a little creep- 
ing line of blue water showed that it was time 
for the “ Modeerf ” to head toward the Balfour 
shore. 

“What is the matter with our sheep?” ex- 
claimed Penny, as the boat came near the pas- 
ture slope. 

Ted and Mrs. Balfour looked toward the hill 
pasture, and saw the sheep all running down the 
slope toward the shore. “ There’s a sloop close 
in,” exclaimed Ted, “ and there are men driv- 
ing the sheep to the shore. It’s the English. 
Oh, mother I Can’t we make them let our 
sheep alone ? ” 

“ Oh, it’s too bad,” whispered Penny. 

Mrs. Balfour made no response to Ted’s ques- 
tion. There was nothing that they could do to 
recover the sheep. But Mrs. Balfour sighed as 
she remembered what the loss of them would 


A LITTLE MAID 


114 

mean, and wished, as she often did, that Colonel 
Waterman’s regiment was not quartered so far 
from Balfour farm, and to wonder if after all 
she was not unwise in remaining at the farm 
while the war was going on. 

Ted was furious that he could not prevent the 
men from taking the sheep. But Penny was 
only wishing that it had not happened that 
day. 

“ We were all so happy,” she said, as they 
walked toward home. 

“ It was a lovely picnic. I never had such a 
good time ! ” declared Florence. “ I’ll never 
forget it, Pen. Never ! And see, my dress is 
all spotted ! ” and Florence pointed to her dress 
as if the marks were another cause for delight. 

It was now late in the afternoon, and Ted 
hurried off to attend to his work. Florence 
said Hitty was too busy to come for her, and 
Penny offered to walk as far as the wall ; and 
now came the moment that Florence had so 
dreaded, when she must say good-bye to Mrs. 
Balfour. Tears came to the little girl’s eyes 
when she looked into the face of her kind 
friend, and realized that she might never see 
her again. 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 115 

“ Good-bye, dear Mrs. Balfour,” she said ; and 
Mrs. Balfour stooped and kissed the sad little face, 
and said : 

“ Good-bye, dear child ; you must come over 
whenever your mother is willing.” 

Without a word Florence turned and ran 
across the field, closely followed by Penelope. 

Mrs. Balfour had often seen Florence in tears ; 
so, beyond a wandering thought as to what the 
present trouble might be, did not think much 
about it. “ Perhaps Florence feels bad because 
Ted hurried off without a word of good-bye ; or 
perhaps the child feels bad because our sheep 
have been taken,” thought Mrs. Balfour. “ She 
is a sensitive nature, poor child.” 

After Penny caught up with Florence the two 
girls walked slowly on together.' Florence wiped 
her eyes, and now remembered that she had not 
bidden Ted good-bye. “ You’ll tell Ted good-bye 
for me, won’t you, Penny ? ” she said. 

“ Yes,” agreed Penny. “ I’ll tell him to- 
morrow after you’re gone. He might think it 
funny if I told him to-night.” 

Penny’s voice sounded almost too cheerful 
to Florence, and she choked back her sobs. 
“ There’ll be a surprise for you to-morrow, Penny, 


A LITTLE MAID 


1 16 

and a surprise for your mother and a surprise 
for Ted.” And although Penny questioned ear- 
nestly, Florence would only shake her head and 
say, “ Wait until to-morrow,” and Penny be- 
came so interested that she nearly forgot that on 
the morrow Florence would have started on the 
journey to Boston. 

The girls had climbed to the top of the wall, 
and were talking earnestly when suddenly Flor- 
ence exclaimed : “ Oh, dear ! There comes 
grandfather to meet me. I must run. Good- 
bye, dear, dear Pen. Pll always keep your piece 
of money. Always ! Always ! ” and before 
Penny could respond Florence had slipped from 
the wall and was running to meet her grandfather. 

For a few moments Penelope sat quite still 
watching her ; and when Florence turned and 
waved her hand Penny waved back. Then she 
too slid down from the wall, but she did not 
hurry toward home. Leaning against the warm 
rocks Penny began to cry. She would never see 
Florence again, she said to herself, never again. 
She put her hand to her neck and clasped the 
little gold locket with a sense of comfort. “ Pm 
glad I gave her my piece of money,” she whis- 
pered to herself. 


CHAPTER X 


A STRANGE ENCOUNTER 

It was an uneasy night for the Balfour house- 
hold. Twice Mrs. Balfour was awakened by the 
sound of steps ; and, peering from her window, 
was sure that she saw the figure of a man run- 
ning across the field toward the highway. And 
later on, the kitchen clock had just struck twelve 
when the faint rumble of wheels came to her 
ears. Ted, thinking of the stolen sheep, lay long 
awake wondering how soon the cows would be 
driven away, and if even the hens and chickens 
would be left ; while Penny crept out of bed 
as soon as she fancied her mother was asleep, 
and knelt at her open window to watch the dis- 
tant lights of Stone House. She too had seen 
the shadowy figure creeping across the field, and 
whispered, “ ’Tis Black Aleck. ” And Penny 
noticed what her mother did not see — another 
figure moving about in the Balfour field. “ It 
looks like a calf,” thought Penny ; and then de- 
117 


1 1 8 


A LITTLE MAID 


cided that it might be a deer, as it was not un- 
common for an occasional deer to be seen feeding 
in the open fields. Before midnight the last 
light at Stone House was extinguished ; and 
Penny crept back to bed where she lay listen- 
ing for the sound of the Dickinson coach when 
it should pass on the highway, and as soon as 
the rumble of wheels died away Penny’s sleepy 
eyes closed. 

Both Ted and Penny slept late the next morn- 
ing, and it was Mrs. Balfour who opened the 
door to discover a big hamper on the steps. A 
letter addressed to her was fastened to the handle, 
and when Mrs. Balfour finished reading it she 
knew all that Florence had told Penny on the 
previous day. Ted listened in amazement when 
his mother read him the letter. It was a friendly 
note, asking Mrs. Balfour to accept the contents 
of the hamper as a neighborly gift, but it was 
the last page of the letter that made Ted open 
his eyes : “ Florence wants Ted to have her 

pony, so Black Aleck has turned him into your 
lower field, and left the pony cart and harness 
near the stone wall.” 

Penelope came into the kitchen just as her 
mother finished reading the letter. The little 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 119 

gold chain was around her neck, and the locket 
showed brightly against her faded dress. “ Oh ! 
That was Florence’s surprise ! ” she exclaimed, 
as she saw the hamper and heard about the 
pony. 

“ There is nothing but surprises in these 
troublous days,” said Mrs. Balfour, drawing the 
hamper into the kitchen. “ But the Dickin- 
sons were indeed kind to send us these things.” 
As she opened the hamper she gave a little ex- 
clamation of pleasure, and drew out a roll of 
blue sprigged muslin. “ Look, Penny ! This is 
to make you a Sunday dress.” 

As Penny took the pretty muslin in her 
hands she forgot that Florence had really gone, 
and her face beamed with delight, and she at 
once recalled the invitation to visit the minis- 
ter’s wife. 

“ Will you make it up right away, mother, so 
I can wear it when I go to see Mrs. Godfrey ? ” 

“ Indeed I will I ” promised Mrs. Balfour ; 
“ and see this piece of scarlet cloth ! ’Twill 
make you a fine cape come cold weather ! ” 

“ I wish ’twas blue,” said Penny, recalling 
the scarlet coats of the British soldiers. 

“ And here is a roll of excellent cambric,” 


120 A LITTLE MAID 

continued Mrs. Balfour, “and some fine knit- 
ting yarn.” 

The lower part of the hamper was filled with 
packages of sugar, spices and wax candles ; and 
Mrs. Balfour again exclaimed over the generous 
kindness of her Tory neighbors. 

“ Florence gave me this yesterday ! ” said 
Penny, holding up her locket, “ and I am al- 
ways going to keep it. Florence said they were 
going to England.” 

Ted ran down the field to look at the pony. 
The little creature had always been a pet, and 
when Ted called its name, “ Top, Top,” it came 
trotting toward him. 

“ Top ” was snow white, and all the children 
of Warwick Village thought Florence Dickinson 
the most fortunate girl in the world to own such 
a pony. Ted led the pony toward the watering- 
trough for a drink, and then to the kitchen door 
for Penny and Mrs. Balfour to pet and admire. 

“ Too bad the squire had to go away,” Ted 
thought, as he again let the pony loose to feed 
in the field, and started off to his work in the 
garden. 

It was a busy morning for Mrs. Balfour, for 
Penelope pleaded that the blue muslin dress 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 121 


be cut and begun. “ For the minister’s wife 
may come very soon now,” she urged ; and the 
dainty material was cut in breadths for the 
skirt, and basted for Penny to stitch ; and the 
little girl sat down on the door-step and worked 
happily all the morning. After dinner she was 
eager to begin again, but Mrs. Balfour shook 
her head and sent her to help Ted in the garden. 

“ And you will have to wear your best sun- 
bonnet every day now, Penny. You are getting 
as brown as a nut.” 

Penny sighed as her mother said this, for 
since the adventure at Tiverton, when the man 
had taken her blue sunbonnet with the squire’s 
letter hidden under the lining, Penny had run 
about the farm bareheaded. 

“ I say, Pen, wasn’t Florence fine to give me 
the pony ? I’ll drive you to church next Sun- 
day ! ” said Ted as they worked together culling 
the weeds from the garden. 

“ Truly I Will you truly, Ted?” responded 
Penny, in great delight ; and then, before Ted 
could answer, she exclaimed, “ I won’t go ! 
And I won’t wear that blue muslin dress 
either ! ” and to Ted’s surprise Penny stopped 
pulling the weeds, and began crying. 


122 A LITTLE MAID 

“ Whatever is the matter, Pen ? ” he asked 
anxiously. 

“ We — we’re acting just as if all we cared 
about was things ,” sobbed the little girl, “ as if 
we were so glad to get the white pony and the 
muslin dress that we didn’t care if Florence was 
gone.” 

“ But we do care,” Ted responded soberly ; 
“ and I guess Florence wants us to enjoy the 
pony or she would have given him to somebody 
else. But we won’t drive him to church, Pen.” 

The girl wiped her eyes. “ P’raps we’d better 
go to church in the pony-cart after all, Ted,” 
she said, “ if I wear my blue muslin,” and Pe- 
nelope could not help smiling at the thought of 
the beautiful dress on which her mother was 
now at work. 

“ All right,” responded Ted pleasantly. “ Say, 
Pen ! I believe that’s the minister’s chaise com- 
ing over the road from the village.” 

“ Yes, Ted ! ” responded Penny eagerly. 
“ There’s not another roan horse in the town- 
ship save Mr. Godfrey’s.” 

As the chaise came nearer the children could 
see that it was Mrs. Godfrey, and that she was 
alone ; and in a few moments the roan horse 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 123 

had stopped at the Balfours’ gate, and Mrs. Bal- 
four was hurrying down the path to welcome 
their guest. 

“ Ted ! ” whispered Penny, as her brother said 
he must go and lead the horse to the stable, 
“ Ted, we mustn’t say a word about the Dickin- 
sons going away. The squire doesn’t want the 
village people to know.” 

“ Of course we won’t ! ” responded Ted 
sharply ; “ they’re neighbors, and perhaps they 
can’t help being Tories.” 

Penelope hurried to the house to wash her 
face and hands and make herself tidy before 
greeting her kind friend. She knew that her 
mother would say nothing about the Dickinsons 
going away in the night ; and Penny was quite 
sure that Mrs. Godfrey had come to invite her 
for the promised visit, and this proved to be the 
case, for as Penelope crossed the yard to the seat 
under the oak tree, where Mrs. Balfour was en- 
tertaining her guest, she heard Mrs. Godfrey 
say : “ How soon can you spare Penelope for the 
visit she has promised me ? ” 

Then, as Penny came nearer, Mrs. Godfrey 
turned to smile and greet her, and said : “ I 
hope you want to come very soon, my dear ? ” 


124 


A LITTLE MAID 


“ Oh, yes ! " responded Penny, in so earnest a 
tone that Mrs. Godfrey must have been quite 
sure that the little girl was looking forward to a 
great pleasure. 

Penny seated herself beside the minister's 
wife, and watched her with admiring eyes. 
“ When I grow up I hope I will look just like 
Mrs. Godfrey, and talk just the way she does, 
and smile just the way she smiles," thought the 
little girl. “ But I s'pose I can't ! " and she 
sighed a little, remembering that her own eyes 
were blue, while Mrs. Godfrey's eyes were brown. 
“ But I can smile the way she does," resolved 
Penny, and at once began “ practicing " ; until 
Mrs. Balfour, who had been watching her little 
daughter with anxious eyes, exclaimed : 

“ What is the matter, Penny, dear ? Have 
you the toothache ? " 

“ No, ma'am," responded Penny, in great sur- 
prise. “ What made you think I had the tooth- 
ache?" 

“ You were twisting your lips so queerly," an- 
swered Mrs. Balfour. 

This was rather discouraging, but Penelope 
resolved to watch Mrs. Godfrey more closely, 
and to practice the smile before the little gilt- 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAY 125 

framed mirror in her own room. Penny had 
been so occupied with her own thoughts and 
her admiration of Mrs. Godfrey, that she had 
not paid much heed to the conversation ; but 
she now heard a word that made her all atten- 
tion. 

“ We hear the loyal people of Newport are 
nearly discouraged,” Mrs. Godfrey was saying. 
“ The British soldiers are like a swarm of locusts, 
stripping the shores of everything. It is time 
that the army at Tiverton made some effort to 
help the people.” 

“ What could the army do ? ” Penny asked, 
and her question was rewarded by Mrs. God- 
frey's charming smile as she answered : 

“ Oh, well, Colonel Will Barton likes a joke; 
he might capture a few British generals just for 
the fun of it.” 

And now Mrs. Godfrey declared that it was 
time for her to start for home, and Ted led the 
big roan horse to the gate and politely helped 
their visitor to her seat in the chaise. 

“ May not Penelope ride a little way with 
me?” she asked, and Mrs. Balfour cordially 
agreed ; so Ted helped Penny to enter the 
chaise, and they drove away. 


126 


A LITTLE MAID 


“ I never rode in a chaise before , 77 said Penny, 
as the big horse trotted along, the chaise swaying 
and swinging in a delightful manner. 

“ When you come to see me next week I will 
take you on a long drive / 7 promised Mrs. God- 
frey, “ but I promised your mother to set you 
down at the ford to-day . 77 

The ford was where the road crossed a shallow 
brook. There were stepping-stones, over which 
a person on foot could cross dry shod, but horses 
splashed through the shallow water, drawing 
cart or chaise after them. When they reached 
the stream Penny thanked Mrs. Godfrey for her 
ride, and promised to come on the following 
Thursday for the promised visit ; then she 
stepped carefully down from the chaise, and 
stood watching it roll through the water and 
along the road until the overhanging trees hid 
it from view. Penny did not hurry on her way 
home ; the sun was still high, and there was a 
pleasant shade under the big trees which bor- 
dered the road. Here and there she found wild 
strawberries, or the tender leaves of young check- 
erberries. There was a sleepy sound of bees 
hunting for sweets, and she was too near home 
to have any thought of fear. She was bare- 


OF N A R RAGANSE TT BAY 127 

headed, and now and then a ray of sunshine 
filtered through the leaves and danced about her 
yellow head. She had just gathered a spray 
of wild honeysuckle when a blue sunbonnet 
dropped directly in front of her. 

“ My sunbonnet ! ” she exclaimed. “ The one 
the Tory took ! ” 

“ The very one, but I'm not a Tory,” said a 
laughing voice, and looking up Penny saw the 
same tall man, in the same ragged clothes, who 
had taken the precious letter. For a moment 
Penny was afraid, and she looked about as if 
she wanted to run away. Then she heard the 
man say, “ I am an American, and I have come 
away from Tiverton to bring back your sunbon- 
net and to find out where and how you got that 
letter and to whom you meant to give it.” 

As the man spoke he stepped back a little so 
that he was nearly hidden by the underbrush, 
but could look up and down the road and see 
the approach of any traveler. 

“ How did you find out where I lived ? ” 
asked Penny, fixing her wondering eyes on the 
man's face. 

“ Easy ! ” he responded laughingly. “ Watched 
your brother's little boat, and thought the 


128 A LITTLE MAID 

‘ Freedom 1 must belong to a loyal American 
boy.” 

This made Penny gasp with surprise. No one 
else had ever guessed the real name of Ted's 
boat. 

“ Do you know my father ? ” she questioned. 

“ No ; is he a soldier? ” asked the man. 

“ Yes ; he's at Tiverton,” answered Penny. 
“ We were going to see him when you stopped 
us.” 

“ Was that it? ” exclaimed the man. “ Well, 
I made a mistake all around that day. Of 
course I thought you were Tory children carry- 
ing a message to some spy in our camp. You 
must forgive me, now I have brought back your 
sunbonnet.” 

“ Was Colonel Barton glad to get the letter? ” 
asked Penny. 

“ Yes, indeed ; but he laughed well at me 
when he found out that it must have been 
brought by a friend. Well, since I have 
journeyed all the way from Colonel Barton’s 
camp to bring back your sunbonnet, will you not 
forgive me and tell me your name ? ” And the 
tall man smiled at Penny, and the little girl 
smiled back as she responded : 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 129 

“ My name is Penelope Henrietta Balfour. 
I am named for both my grandmothers.” 

“ A splendid idea,” declared the man. “ I've 
heard your brother's name is Sammy, and that 
he is a clever boy. Do you suppose he would 
do a service for Colonel Barton ? ” 

“ Oh, yes. But couldn't I do it? ” answered 
Penny eagerly. 

The man looked at her with friendly eyes, but 
shook his head. “ I guess 'twould be wiser for 
Sammy to undertake it,” he said ; “ but you can 
help. Tell Sammy to watch his boat every 
night and morning from now on ; and when he 
finds a small package under the bow seat to 
carry it to Colonel Elliott as fast as he can go. 
It may be Colonel Elliott will bring Sammy 
back in his coach.” 

Penny's heart beat quickly. Here indeed was 
a great adventure, for she had instantly resolved 
that she herself would carry this message. She 
would be “ Sammy,” and she would watch the 
boat. 

“You understand, don't you?” questioned 
the tall man. “ Remember to tell Sammy that 
the very moment he finds the package he is to 
be off to Old Warwick as fast as he can go, tell- 


A LITTLE MAID 


13° 

in g his errand to no one, and give the packet 
into Colonel Elliott’s own hands.” 

“ Yes, yes ! ” responded Penelope eagerly, and 
was about to ask a question as to how “ Sammy ” 
could find Colonel Elliott, when there was a 
rustle in the underbrush, and Penny’s companion 
had disappeared. A moment later she heard 
the sound of a horse’s hoofs, and a horseman 
came splashing through the ford. He waved 
his hand to the little girl by the roadside, and 
was out of sight before Penny had time even to 
wonder who he was. 

For a little while Penelope waited, standing 
quite still, hoping that the tall man would 
return. But at last she realized that he had 
said all that he meant to say, and that she would 
not see him again. 

“ I wish he hadn’t brought back this sun- 
bonnet,” she thought, looking scornfully at that 
faded and abused article. “ Of course I mustn’t 
take it home. Ted would guess something in a 
minute.” And Penny looked about for a place 
to hide it. This was easily found in the hollow 
end of an old log at the edge of the wood. “ I 
must run every step of the way home,” decided 
Penny, “ or mother will think I have gone 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 131 

home with Mrs. Godfrey/’ and away she scam- 
pered at a great pace, her thoughts full of the 
remarkable happenings of the day, and of her- 
self in Ted’s outgrown clothes hurrying off with 
Colonel Barton’s message. 


CHAPTER XI 


A DAY OF STORM 

“ Mother, who is Colonel Elliott ? ” Penny 
questioned as soon as she reached home, “ and 
does he live in Old Warwick ? ” 

“ Colonel Elliott is one of our brave American 
soldiers. ’Tis hard to say where you’d find him 
these days. And so you are to go on your visit 
to the minister’s wife next Thursday. It’s a 
compliment indeed, Penny ; and you must be- 
have your best,” and Mrs. Balfour smiled at 
Penny, thinking how excited the child was at 
the prospect of such a visit. 

“ Thursday ! ” exclaimed the little girl ; “ per- 
haps I can’t go ! ” For she was thinking of the 
packet that she might find any day under the 
bow seat of the “ Modeerf.” 

“ Yes, indeed, you shall surely go,” her mother 
responded ; “ the blue muslin shall be finished 
for you to wear, and Theodore will drive you 
over in the pony-cart.” 

Penny did not say any more, but went up-stairs 
132 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAY 133 

and looked to see that the homespun trousers 
were where she had hidden them. She hunted 
up an old blouse of her brother’s and put it 
with the trousers. Then she went and looked 
in the little gilt-framed mirror which hung near 
the window. But she did not practice smiling 
“ like Mrs. Godfrey,” as she had meant to do 
only that afternoon, but peered into the glass 
with firm-set lips and serious eyes. “ If my hair 
was short I’d look ’most like Ted, only smaller,” 
she thought. “ I’ll have to cut it off! ” she re- 
solved, grasping her yellow braid and looking 
at it accusingly. “ The very minute I find the 
packet I’ll cut it off.” Then Penny sighed a 
little, remembering that her father had often 
said that no little girl in all the world had 
prettier hair than his Penelope, and thinking 
how sorry he would be to find her with hair 
just like Ted’s. 

“ Perhaps he’ll be proud to think I could 
help,” she thought ; and then she heard Ted 
calling her to come down to the garden and see 
how well the new peas were growing. 

Ted wondered a little that Penny had so little 
to say, but decided that she must be thinking 
about Florence. Even the blue muslin dress 


A LITTLE MAID 


*34 

could not make her forget all that the tall man 
had told her, or the promise she had given that 
the package should be delivered to Colonel 
Elliott. “ Probably there will be writing on the 
package to tell me where to find him/' Penny 
decided, as she thought the matter over. Then 
she remembered that the man had said that 
“ Sammy ' 7 must start the moment the package 
was found ; and at this thought Penny left the 
garden, without a word to Ted, and ran toward 
the house, resolved to carry “ Sammy’s ” clothes 
to the shore and hide them so that she would 
not be delayed. “ I must take my scissors, too, 
so I can cut this braid off,” she thought. And 
now the little girl was on the alert for a chance 
to slip out of the house with her bundle without 
being seen. She stayed in her room peering out 
from the window at Ted, busy in the garden ; 
and she could hear her mother busy in the 
room below. It was nearly supper-time, and in 
a few minutes Mrs. Balfour called and Penny 
slipped the bundle into the closet and went 
down to supper. 

“ The air feels like rain,” Ted declared as they 
all sat down at the table, “ and there are black 
clouds beyond the islands.” 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 135 

“Yes,” responded Mrs. Balfour. “I think 
'twill be a stormy night.” 

“ Oh, dear ! ” exclaimed Penny dropping her 
spoon, and leaning back in her chair with such 
an expression of despair on her face that both 
Ted and his mother began to laugh. 

“ I don't think you ought to laugh. I don't 
want it to rain,” said Penny. 

This made Ted laugh more than ever. “ Well, 
you ought to have said so before the moon 
changed. It's too late now,” he said. 

“ What has the moon got to do with it ? ” 
asked Penny scornfully. 

“ Everything,” declared Ted. “ You ask any- 
body who lives near the shore and they'll tell 
you that there are wet moons and dry moons. 
And this is a wet moon. Shouldn't be surprised 
if it rained the rest of the month.” 

“ Oh, dear ! ” said Penelope again, in such a 
hopeless tone that Mrs. Balfour, thinking that 
her little daughter feared a postponement of her 
visit to Mrs. Godfrey, said: 

“ It will probably be a fine, pleasant day on 
Thursday, Penny. Do not look so far ahead for 
trouble.” 

But Penelope's face did not brighten. And 


A LITTLE MAID 


136 

when, before they had finished supper, the rain 
began to fall steadily, she was a very sober-faced 
little girl. 

“ I suppose Pen’s feeling bad about Florence,” 
Ted whispered to his mother, as he took the 
milk pails and ran off toward the barn. 

It rained hard all that night, and as Penny 
lay awake listening to the drops on the roof and 
the wind in the branches of the trees, she won- 
dered if the tall stranger expected her to go to 
the shore rain or shine, and if she would have 
to go in search of Colonel Elliott in a pouring 
rain, with the wind sweeping clouds of mist 
across the bay. 

“ Perhaps he was thinking of storms when he 
said ’twas a boy’s errand,” she thought, and re- 
membered how proud and eager Ted would be 
to carry such a message whatever the weather 
might be. “ Perhaps I ought to tell Ted. Of 
course the man meant Ted when he said 
1 Sammy,’ ” she reflected, and then remembered 
that Ted had promised their mother not to go 
off on any secret journey. With this comfort- 
ing thought the little girl, resolving that no 
storm should prevent her keeping her promise, 
went to sleep. 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 137 

“ Where’s Ted ? ” Penny asked next morning 
as she came into the kitchen. 

“ He has run down to the shore to see that the 
boat is all right. There was a heavy surf all 
night,” answered Mrs. Balfour. 

The rain was still falling heavily, and a strong 
wind sweeping across the harbor. 

“ ’Twill be a good day to work on the muslin 
dress,” Mrs. Balfour said, as she saw Penny 
standing looking out the window. “ You shall 
hem the flounce, while I finish the waist,” she 
continued. “We will draw our chairs close to 
the window where we can see Ted when he 
comes from the shore.” Mrs. Balfour’s tone 
was very cheerful, and when Penny saw the 
muslin dress all ready for the flounce her face 
brightened. “ There will be sufficient muslin 
for a sash ! ” declared Mrs. Balfour. And at 
this good news Penelope smiled happily, and 
put on her shining silver thimble and sat down 
beside her mother quite ready to forgive the 
“ wet moon.” 

In a few moments they saw Ted running 
across the field from the shore. 

“ The ‘ Modeerf ’ is all right,” he declared, as 
he opened the door. “ I’ve pulled her up on 


A LITTLE MAID 


138 

the bank and turned her over ; so now it can 
rain all it wants to,” and closing the door Ted 
was off toward the barn. 

In one corner of the barn Ted had put up a 
partition and called the enclosure his workshop. 
Here he spent many happy hours on stormy 
days working busily over bits of wood which he 
made into neat boxes, or making a footstool or 
table for his mother. But to-day he ran past 
the barn and across the pasture toward Bayberry 
Hill. Ted was barefooted and bareheaded ; 
and his homespun blouse and trousers did not 
easily soak through, and when they did Ted was 
not at all troubled. He was used to being out 
in all kinds of weather, and knew that a good 
wetting did him no harm. As Ted came up 
from the shore he had seen a number of men on 
Bayberry Hill, and had instantly resolved to 
discover if possible who they were and what 
errand brought them to Balfour farm in such a 
storm. 

Ted knew every rock and bush on the pasture 
slope, and when he reached the top of the hill 
he was careful to keep well sheltered from dis- 
covery by any watchful eye. From behind a 
ledge of gray rock he looked down the farther 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 139 

slope of the hill to the shore, and as he looked a 
sudden exclamation escaped him. “Tories!” 
exclaimed the boy, as he counted five big whale- 
boats drawn up on the shore, and hovering near 
them a number of men. 

“ They must have put in here last night,” 
thought Ted. “ After our cows, probably, and 
waiting for the wind to go down so they can get 
back to Prescott’s camp.” 

Ted waited to see no more. He was resolved 
that they should not carry off his cows, and hur- 
ried back to the barn, where he decided to stay 
until he was sure that the “ Tories,” as he be- 
lieved the men to be, had departed. “ There are 
so many of them that perhaps they’re on a regu- 
lar raid,” thought the boy, a little fearfully. 

All day the wind blew and the rain came 
down steadily ; and when at sunset the clouds 
lightened and the wind ceased Mrs. Balfour gave 
a sigh of relief. “ I am surely glad that the 
storm is over,” she said, “ for you children have 
been as uneasy as stormy petrels. Now the sun 
is out, and I do hope Ted will hurry in to sup- 
per. And you, Penny ! Why, wet as it is, a 
run out-of-doors before bedtime will do you 
good.” 


A LITTLE MAID 


140 

Penny was now her own smiling self again. 
She was quite sure that there could be no mes- 
sage in the boat for her to carry ; nevertheless 
she resolved to get her bundle to the shore that 
very night. 

Ted had made a second trip to the hill, and 
had seen that the boats were being put in readi- 
ness for departure. He was puzzled now, and 
began to believe that the men were not Tories 
after all, and wondered if they might not be 
Americans. “ I won’t tell mother about them 
until they have gone,” he decided as he came 
in to supper. 

Neither Ted nor his mother saw Penny when, 
4 with the bundle tightly clasped in her arms, she 
ran across the field toward the shore. She 
found the boat turned over as Ted had left it. 
“ I’ll look, but of course I won’t find any pack- 
age,” thought the little girl, kneeling in the wet 
grass and reaching under the bow seat of the 
boat. But her hand touched something wrapped 
in a bit of oilcloth, and she drew it out. 

There was a slip of paper fastened to the pack- 
age, and in roughly printed letters Penny read : 

“ Deliver to Colonel Elliott At House 
Next Assembly House ” 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 141 

“ I guess he didn’t know that I could read 
writing,” was Penny’s first thought ; and then 
she remembered that this was the message. It 
must be delivered as soon as she could find 
Colonel Elliott. 

“ I must go now. Just as soon as I can put 
on Ted’s clothes, and cut off my hair,” thought 
Penny, and began to unroll the bundle. 


CHAPTER XII 


“ Sammy " 

“ I'm glad I know just where to go," thought 
Penelope, as she reread the direction on the 
packet. Every child near Warwick knew and 
admired the Assembly House, built in 1726, 
with its unique porch and overhanging roof. 
It was three miles distant from the Balfour 
farm, and Penny and Ted had often walked 
there and back. 

It was a queer little figure that crept along 
through the wet bushes toward the highway. 
Penny was barefooted and bareheaded ; Ted's 
outgrown clothes, pulled hastily on over her 
own garments, were still too large for Penny. 
She had found it a difficult matter to cut off her 
thick braid of hair, and as she held its yellow 
length in her hand she had looked at it a little 
sorrowfully, and tucked it away in her blouse. 

“ I’m glad it isn't dark yet," she thought, 
looking cautiously around as she reached the 
142 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 143 

road, “ and I hope mother won't miss me. I 
can get back before morning." 

The road was muddy, and the overhanging 
trees sent down little showers now and then ; 
but the sky was clear and the setting sun had 
left its golden reflection along the distant ho- 
rizon. At first Penny ran along the wet road, 
keeping as close to the trees as possible so that 
any chance traveler along the highway might 
not see her. 

By the time she reached the ford the twilight 
had deepened into dusk, and Penny splashed 
through the stream without making any effort 
to find the stepping-stones. She went sturdily 
along up the hill, and soon came out on the 
open stretch of road facing the harbor. “ I'm 
half-way there now," she thought, stopping to 
rest for a moment and looking across the water 
toward the distant islands. 

As Penny looked she saw what seemed to her 
like a number of dark shadows over the water, 
moving down the bay toward Prudence Island. 
Then, as her eyes became more accustomed to 
the movement of the waves, she suddenly real- 
ized that the shadows were boats. But Penny 
did not think much about it, for it was no un- 


A LITTLE MAID 


144 

common sight to see boats moving along the 
shores, or from island to island. 

“ I wonder if I can ever tell mother and father 
about this? ” thought the little girl, clasping the 
package more closely and hurrying along. The 
road soon left the shore, and for the rest of the 
distance to the crossroads the way led through 
the shadows of a thick wood ; and now Penny 
began to run again. The soft pad of her bare 
feet made no more noise than did those of a rab- 
bit which scuttled across her path and disap- 
peared in the shadows. 

It was a very muddy and tired little figure 
that crept up the path of the house nearest the 
Assembly House and stood hesitating on the 
porch steps. She could see a glimmer of candle- 
light in one of the front rooms, and, after a mo- 
ment’s hesitation, Penny went bravely up the 
steps, lifted the knocker and jumped back as it 
clanged down. 

The door opened so quickly that the child 
was sure that some one must have been stand- 
ing there waiting for the summons. 

“ Does — does Colonel Elliott live here ? ” fal- 
tered Penny, as the light from the open door 
showed her the tall figure of an elderly woman, 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 145 

who looked sharply at the queer little figure on 
her threshold. 

“ 'Tis plain that you are no child of Warwick 
Village to ask such a question. This is the 
Arnold house ; but a message is expected here 
for Colonel Elliott, and will reach him safely,” 
and the woman reached out her hand and 
Penny slipped the little package into it. The 
door closed as suddenly as it had opened. The 
glimmer of candle-light disappeared. Every- 
thing seemed very still to the little girl stand- 
ing alone on the porch steps in the darkness of 
the summer night. 

“ Oh, dear ! ” she exclaimed. “ The man said 
perhaps Colonel Elliott would give me a ride 
home in his coach, and he isn't here ! ” and 
Penny suddenly realized that she was a very 
tired little girl, that home was a long distance 
away, and that the night had grown very dark. 

She went slowly down the path and turned 
her face toward the homeward road. Suddenly 
she heard the sound of a horse's hoofs, and 
looked back just in time to see the dark outline 
of a man on horseback dash out from the stable- 
yard of the Arnold house and speed off toward 
the Providence road. 


146 A LITTLE MAID 

“ Oh, dear ! ” said Penny again, and her ex- 
clamation had a very discouraged tone. 

It was midnight when Penny reached Balfour 
farm ; and now, for the first time, she began to 
wonder how she could reach her room without 
awakening her mother or Ted. Usually the 
front and back doors were both secured on the 
inside by stout wooden bars. If they were so 
fastened to-night Penny knew that it would be 
an easy matter to push up one of the kitchen 
windows and climb in. She tried the back 
door, and at her gentle push it swung smoothly 
open, and Penny found herself in the dark 
kitchen. She crept softly to the narrow hall- 
way, and made her way up the curving stair- 
way and into her own room, and stood there a 
breathless but triumphant Penelope. She had 
carried the message, and returned through the 
darkness safely to her own room. But to 
Penny the greatest part of her triumph was 
that she had not wakened either her mother or 
Ted. 

And now she quietly slipped out of her cloth- 
ing, and, without a thought of her muddy feet 
or shorn head, crept in between the clean sheets 
and was soon asleep; nor did the disturbance 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 147 

which aroused Mrs. Balfour and Ted in the 
early morning waken the tired little girl. 

“ Ted,” Mrs. Balfour called, when awakened 
by the sound of voices at no great distance from 
the house, “ I fear 'tis a party of Tories who 
have landed at the cove.” 

It did not take Ted long to dress, and in a 
few moments he and his mother were standing 
in the doorway looking in amazement at a 
group of men gathered under the big oak. 

“ Those are American soldiers, Ted ! And 
they have a prisoner ! ” she declared. 

As she spoke a tall man left the group and 
hastened toward the house. 

“ I trust we have not frightened or disturbed 
your household, madam ? ” he said as he came 
near. “ I am Colonel Barton, at your service ; 
and the gentleman yonder, in the cloak, is my 
prisoner, General Prescott. My men were de- 
tained by the storm, or he would be in Provi- 
dence ere this.” 

In answer to Mrs. Balfour's eager questions 
he told of the night's great adventure. The 
American boats had slipped down the harbor, 
and midway between Newport and Bristol 
Ferry had made a landing and concealed their 


A LITTLE MAID 


148 

boats, and then gone directly to the farmhouse 
where General Prescott made his headquarters. 

“ ’Twas an easy matter, I assure you, madam ! ” 
said the colonel. “We had but to overpower 
the sentries, break open the general’s door and 
force him to come with us. Tis not more than 
eight hours since my men sailed from this very 
shore. There has not been a slip ; that is, if 
our message was carried to Warwick Village?” 
and he looked questioningly toward Ted. But 
a sudden commotion among his men made him 
hurry toward them. 

“ What did he mean by a message, Ted ? and 
why did he look at you so closely ? ” asked Mrs. 
Balfour. “ But this is indeed great news. ’Twill 
be a day famous in history,” she continued, with- 
out waiting for an answer to her question. 

There came the sound of the rumbling of a 
coach, and a moment later a big coach, driven 
by an officer of the American army, stopped at 
the Balfour gate. Securely guarded, the British 
general was thrust into the coach ; the men filed 
back to their boats and pulled away toward their 
camp in Tiverton, and the coach drove off toward 
Warwick. 

Colonel Barton ran back to the door. “You 



THE BRITISH GENERAL WAS THRUST INTO THE COACH 













































- 

































































































% 






\ 










































« 










• I 





































OF NARRAGANSETT BAY 149 

have a brave and trustworthy son, madam,” he 
said, “ and,” turning toward Ted, “ you, Sammy, 
will hear from us again ; ” and he was gone, 
leaving Ted and his mother standing puzzled 
and amazed ; and again Mrs. Balfour repeated her 
question : 

“ What did he mean by a message, Ted?” 

“ I don’t know,” responded the boy, “ nor why 
he should call me 4 Sammy.* I wish I had 
known those were Americans when I saw them 
on the shore.” 

To himself Ted added that had he known 
he would have, by some means, been one 
of that triumphant company who had sailed 
past British ships and taken a great general 
captive. 

“ ’Tis too bad Pen could not have seen Colonel 
Barton and the coach,” said Ted, as he and his 
mother turned back to the house. 

“ I wonder she did not wake,” said Mrs. Bal- 
four ; “ but the sleep will do her no harm, though 
she crept off to bed last night without my know- 
ing it. Ted, this is a happy day for us. With 
such good news ’tis more than likely that your 
father can get a furlough and come home, for a 
time at least.” 


1 5 o A LITTLE MAID 

“ Mother / 7 said Ted, “ are you sure Pen is in 
bed ? 77 

“ Of course she is ! Where would she be ? 77 
answered Mrs. Balfour. 

“ May I go and make sure ? 77 asked the boy. 

“ Why, Ted, what are you thinking of? 77 but 
Ted was tiptoeing up the stairs, and, in a mo- 
ment, peering in at Penny who was still sleeping 
soundly. 

“ Yes, she 7 s there all right , 77 Ted said as he 
came back to the kitchen, “ and sleeping as sound 
as a door-mouse . 77 

“ Whatever made you think that the child 
was not in her room, Ted ? 77 questioned his 
mother. 

“ Well, I guess it was what Colonel Barton 
said about a message , 77 answered the boy. “ It 
sounded as if he thought some one in this house 
had been given a message to carry. And you 
know Pen is always planning to do some great 
thing to help the Americans, and I thought 
she 7 d got the chance . 77 

“ That would be a boy 7 s errand , 77 responded 
Mrs. Balfour, “ but we will have a fine tale to tell 
Penny when she does wake up , 77 and Mrs. Bal- 
four went about her usual duties with a lighter 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 151 

heart than she had known for many a day. 
This capture of Prescott meant happier days for 
loyal Americans, she was sure of that ; and as 
she worked she sang : 

“ Euin seize thee, ruthless king ! 

Confusion on thy banners wait ; 

Tho’ fanned by Conquest’s crimson wing, 

They mock the air with idle state. ” 

And Penny was aroused from her slumbers 
by her mother’s triumphant song. For a mo- 
ment she lay half awake, wondering sleepily 
what made her feel so tired. Then she remem- 
bered all that had happened the night before, 
and put her hand on her shorn head thinking 
how light and queer it felt. “ I s’pose I must 
get up,” she said aloud, and then she found her- 
self facing a great difficulty ! What reason 
could she give her mother and Ted for cutting 
off her hair? “ I won’t give any reason,” 
resolved Penny. “ I’ll just say that I wanted to 
cut it off,” and with this decision Penny slipped 
out of bed. “ Gracious ! ” she exclaimed, look- 
ing down at her feet, still stained with the mud, 
“ and I went to bed with those feet.” 


CHAPTER XIII 


THE DAY AFTER 

Penny went slowly down the stairs and opened 
the kitchen door. The clock had struck nine, 
and the little girl could not remember that she 
had ever before slept so late. Mrs. Balfour was 
just coming from the pantry, and looked smil- 
ingly toward her little daughter. But the smile 
vanished as she noticed the shorn head, and she 
lifted both hands in surprise as she exclaimed : 
“ Penelope Henrietta Balfour ! What has hap- 
pened to your hair ? ” 

Penny put a protecting hand over a partic- 
ularly rebellious lock that persisted in falling 
over her forehead, and replied faintly : “ 1 cut 
it off.” 

“ Of all things ! And you invited to visit the 
ministers wife to-morrow ! I never saw the 
beat of it. I have a good mind to send you 
straight back to bed,” and Mrs. Balfour looked 
at Penny very sternly. 

“ I'd just as soon go back to bed,” responded 
152 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAY 153 

Penny in so meek a tone that her mother in- 
stantly relented, and said in her usual kindly 
voice : 

“ I’ve kept your porridge hot. Get your bowl 
and a pitcher of milk and eat your breakfast.” 

Penelope obeyed eagerly for she was very 
hungry. As she ate her mother came and stood 
beside her and touched her cropped head. 

“ I can’t understand your doing such a thing, 
dear child. You know your father was always 
so proud of your thick braid. What will he 
say ? ” 

Penny choked a little as her mother said this. 
She began to feel very unhappy, and almost to 
wish that she had left the package under the 
seat of the boat. She was still sleepy and tired, 
and it seemed very hard to be blamed when she 
had been trying to help the Americans. 

“ As soon as you finish your breakfast, Penny, 
I will trim your hair more evenly, and perhaps 
I can crochet you a net of that ball of yellow 
silk to cover your poor little bare head,” said 
Mrs. Balfour, noticing that her little daughter 
looked pale and tired, and wondering if this 
sudden freak of cutting off her hair might not 
mean that Penny was going to be ill. 


A LITTLE MAID 


154 

So Penny was seated in a chair by the window, 
and her mother trimming her uneven locks 
when Ted came in. “ Don’t tell him!” Penelope 
whispered, and when Ted exclaimed : “ I say, 
mother ! What are you cutting off Pen’s hair 
for ? ” Mrs. Balfour made no response. “ I 
suppose Pen’s teased you into it,” he concluded. 

“ I haven’t told Penny about what happened 
this morning,” said Mrs. Balfour. 

“ It was great, Pen ! Just think, Colonel 
Barton was right at our front door. And a 
coach with Colonel Elliott came driving up and 
took the prisoner off to Providence,” said Ted, 
after Mrs. Balfour had told the story of Prescott’s 
capture. 

“ The strangest part of it all,” said Mrs. 
Balfour, “ is that Colonel Barton seemed to 
think that Ted had done him some service ; 
carried a message or something of the sort, and 
called him ‘ Sammy,’ and said that ‘ Sammy ’ 
would hear from him again. Why, Pen ! ” 
For Penny, who had sat still and nearly breath- 
less while the wonderful story was being told, 
now burst into a storm of sobs and tears. “ I do 
believe the child is ill,” said Mrs. Balfour, as 
she tried to comfort Penny. 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 155 

“ Don't cry, 4 Smiling Sally,' ” urged Ted. 
“ Mother thinks perhaps father will soon be 
coming home." But this only made Penny cry 
all the harder, and Ted took himself off, think- 
ing it was too bad that Penny had not wakened 
in time to see Colonel Barton. 

Mrs. Balfour made Penny lie down on the 
comfortable sofa in the sitting-room. 

“ You must have caught a little cold last 
night," she said, as she put a pillow for Penny's 
head. 

“ Last night ! " echoed Penny, half afraid that 
her mother had guessed the great secret. 

“ Why, yes, dear, when you went running 
down to the shore. You went off to bed so 
quietly I did not know when you went," re- 
sponded Mrs. Balfour. “ Now take a little nap, 
for sleep is the best medicine," and Mrs. Balfour 
went back to her work, leaving her daughter 
alone. 

For a little while Penny lay quite still think- 
ing over all that her mother and Ted had told 
her. Her heart beat quickly at the thought of 
the great general traveling off to Providence in 
the coach she had summoned. 

“ But nobody knows I took the message. 


A LITTLE MAID 


1 56 

Everybody will always think it was Ted ; and 
I walked all night and cut off my hair,” thought 
Penny. But then came a new thought : “ Any- 
way, I helped. It’s no matter whether anybody 
knows or not,” and comforted by this assurance 
Penny went fast asleep, but was wide awake and 
quite ready for the noonday meal. 

“ You look like a little Dutch girl, Penny, 
now that your hair is cut short,” said her 
mother ; “ but with a net of yellow silk and a 
new blue muslin dress, you will look fine in- 
deed.” 

In the afternoon Penelope and her mother took 
their work out under the big oak. Mrs. Balfour 
crocheted the soft silk net, and Penny sewed 
the dainty little frills of white muslin into the 
neck and sleeves of her new dress. The sun- 
light flickered between the green leaves as if 
searching for the golden silk and for the girTs 
yellow hair. 

Mrs. Balfour had been telling Penny again 
all that Colonel Barton had said ; before she 
finished Ted came across the field and stood 
leaning against his mother’s chair. 

“ I’ll show Pen just how he walked and 
bowed,” declared Ted, running back a few 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAY 157 

paces, and then coming toward them in a 
manner very like that of Colonel Barton, and 
sweeping his old hat from his head Ted bowed 
before his mother and said, “ I hope you have 
not been disturbed, madam,” and then, as nearly 
as he could remember it, repeated the morning’s 
conversation. Penny watched him with eager 
eyes. “ As for you, Sammy,” concluded Ted, 
turning toward Penny, and resting his hand 
upon her shoulder, “ you are a brave boy ! 
And you shall hear from us later on.” 

“ Oh ! ” gasped the little girl, who was now 
almost sure that Ted had discovered her secret. 

“ Don’t look so frightened, Pen,” laughed 
Ted. “ Colonel Barton won’t hurt me. Per- 
haps he found out about that letter we tried to 
get to him in Tiverton.” 

But this remark, so near to what Penny knew 
to be the truth, only made her gasp again, and 
Ted looked at her in surprise, and exclaimed : 
“ Well, Pen, I don’t see what ails you. Ever 
since Florence went away you haven’t seemed 
to enjoy anything.” 

“ It’s all been so queer,” responded Penny. 

“ Indeed it has,” agreed her mother, “ but 
now we have pleasant things before us. You 


A LITTLE MAID 


158 

are going on a visit to-morrow, and perhaps your 
father will come any day.” 

“ And perhaps Florence will come back ! ” 
suggested Ted. 

With all these pleasant things to think of 
Penny was soon her smiling self once more, and 
when they walked toward the house she thought 
to herself that she would not change places with 
any little girl on the shores of Narragansett Bay. 
“ I don't believe any other girl ever carried a 
message to Colonel Elliott,” she thought happily, 
and then looked admiringly at her pretty new 
dress which she was carrying very carefully, 
and at the golden net. “ The net is prettier 
than hair,” she declared, as her mother slipped 
it over her head. 


CHAPTER XIV 


POMP AND PRIDE 

“I wish Florence could see how pretty my 
muslin dress is,” said Penny, as her mother 
tied her broad sash and said : 

“ There, now you are all ready except putting 
on your sunbonnet, and you look very nice 
indeed.” 

Penny wore her white open-work knit cotton 
stockings, and low shoes with straps over the 
instep. The slender gold chain and locket was 
around her neck and the silken net over her 
short hair gave the little girl an unusually prim 
and sedate appearance. 

As Penny looked at her reflection in the 
mirror she decided that she liked the net. “ It 
makes me look almost grown up, doesn’t it, 
mother ? ” she asked, and her mother’s reply : 
“ It certainly does make you look older,” made 
the little girl smile happily. 

“ I wish I didn’t have to wear a sunbonnet, 
and cover my net all up,” said Penny when her 
159 


160 A LITTLE MAID 

mother brought the white sunbonnet for her to 
put on. 

“ Tis much more suitable for you to wear the 
sunbonnet, responded her mother, “ and here 
comes Ted.” 

There was a rattle of wheels and a loud 
“ Whoa,” and there was Ted at the gate with the 
white pony and the low cart swung between two 
big wheels. 

“ Isn’t the pony white ! ” exclaimed Penny. 

“ Ought to be. I scrubbed him well this 
morning, and brushed and combed him, too,” 
answered Ted, as he helped her to her seat in 
the cart. 

Mrs. Balfour gave them her last charges and 
kissed them good-bye, and stood at the gate 
watching the cart until a turn in the road hid 
it from view ; then she turned back to the house 
with a smiling face, and her heart full of happy 
thoughts. She was quite sure that there were 
not better children in all the world than her 
own boy and girl, and she sent a grateful 
thought to the Dickinsons for the gifts which 
had brought so much pleasure to Ted and 
Penny. 

The pony trotted briskly over the smooth 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAY 161 


road, picked his way carefully across the ford, 
and seemed to enjoy the journey as much as his 
passengers. 

“ That’s the Arnold house,” announced Penny, 
as they reached the crossroads, passed the As- 
sembly House, and turned into the road leading 
to the minister’s house. 

“ How do you know ? ” asked Ted, in a sur- 
prised tone, and Penny felt a sudden dismay at 
having spoken. 

“ Well, isn’t it?” she responded. 

“ Perhaps it is. I heard Colonel Elliott say 
that breakfast would be ready for General Pres- 
cott at the Arnolds’,” answered Ted. “ Don’t 
you think ’twas funny, Pen,” he continued, 
“ that Colonel Barton should call me 4 Sammy ’? ” 

“ Y-es,” faltered the little girl, and then ex- 
claimed, “ Look, Ted ! There is Mrs. Godfrey 
at her gate, looking for us,” and she waved her 
hand. 

In a moment Ted had brought the pony to a 
standstill directly in front of where Mrs. God- 
frey was standing, and, hat in hand, was making 
his most polite bow. 

“ And what a fine Penelope it is,” exclaimed 
Mrs. Godfrey, as Penny jumped from the cart. 


162 


A LITTLE MAID 


“ Tell your mother we will bring her safely 
home before twilight,” she said to Ted, taking 
Penelope by the hand as Ted turned the pony’s 
head toward home and drove off. 

Penny had never seen the minister’s house be- 
fore, and looked admiringly at the pretty garden 
through which a neat gravel path led to the 
front door. On each side of the path was a row 
of crimson peonies, nodding their heavy heads 
of bloom as if to welcome the little visitor. Be- 
yond the peonies were beds of sweet-william ; 
and beyond those other flowers whose names 
Penelope did not know, and the air was full of 
their fragrance. 

“ Mr. Godfrey is away for the day,” said the 
minister’s wife, as she led Penny up the path, 
“ so you and I will be quite by ourselves.” 

Penny was delighted to hear this, and was 
now quite sure that she was going to have a 
wonderful time. Mrs. Godfrey untied the 
strings of the sunbonnet and as she took it off 
she looked at Penny in amazement. 

“ Oh, child ! ” she exclaimed. 

Penny had quite forgotten her cropped head, 
but now she quickly remembered it, and her 
face flushed uncomfortably. She wished that 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 163 

she could tell Mrs. Godfrey all about it, and 
about the tall man who had brought back her 
sunbonnet. 

“ But what a pretty net,” continued Mrs. 
Godfrey. 

“ Oh ! ” Penny suddenly exclaimed, for com- 
ing across the square hall were two small, white 
woolly dogs. They came up and stopped di- 
rectly in front of Penny, looking first at her 
and then at their mistress, and making friendly 
little barks. 

“ They expect to be introduced,” said Mrs. 
Godfrey laughingly. “ This one with the blue 
ribbon is Pomp, and this is Pride.” As she 
spoke their names, “ Pomp ” and “ Pride,” each 
stood up on his hind legs, bobbed his head and 
gave a sharp bark. 

“ They knew just what you said,” exclaimed 
Penny delightedly. 

“ Of course they knew,” responded Mrs. God- 
frey. 

The little dogs now came very close to Penny, 
eager to make friends. She sat down on the 
lower step of the stairs and in a moment both 
the dogs were beside her. 

“ They are company for me,” said Mrs. 


A LITTLE MAID 


164 

Godfrey. “ My sister brought them when she 
came to visit me in the spring. I will let 
them entertain you a few minutes, Penny dear, 
while I step to the kitchen.” 

Penny was quite happy to have Pomp and 
Pride for companions, and when Mrs. Godfrey 
returned she found the little girl laughing with 
delight while the two woolly dogs frisked about 
her. 

“ Now you must come and see my garden,” 
said Mrs. Godfrey, and then repeated the word 
“ garden ” several times, pointing a warning 
finger at Pomp and Pride. 

The two little dogs instantly became very 
quiet, and when Penny and Mrs. Godfrey 
walked down the steps Pomp and Pride followed 
in a very dignified manner. They no longer 
frisked about Penny, nor made wild rushes at 
each other ; neither did they roll themselves 
up until they looked like round woolly balls. 

“ It took me a long time,” explained Mrs. 
Godfrey, noticing the puzzled look on Penny’s 
face, “ to make them understand what I meant 
when I said ‘ garden ’ ; but they know now that 
they cannot race or run or roll about in my 
flower-beds.” 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAY 165 

There was a high brick wall on one side of 
Mrs. Godfrey’s garden, and growing close against 
it were a number of plum trees whose branches 
had been trained to grow flat against the wall. 
In this pleasant corner of the garden stood a 
rustic summer-house. Dilly, the colored maid, 
was just spreading a white cloth over the round 
table. “ I thought we should enjoy having our 
dinner out here,” said Mrs. Godfrey. 

“ Yes, indeed ! ” agreed Penny enthusiastic- 
ally, and watched Dilly with delighted eyes 
as she spread the table. 

The dishes were covered with little pink roses, 
and at the place set for Penny was a luster mug, 
the inside of which glowed with a wonderful 
pink. Dilly returned from the kitchen with a 
tray, and now Penny realized that she was 
hungry and looked approvingly on the platter 
of cold sliced chicken, the dish of new peas, the 
plate of round biscuit, and the dish of yellow 
custard which Dilly set on the table. 

Everything tasted as good as it looked, and 
Pomp and Pride were rewarded for their good 
behavior with choice bits of chicken. Penny 
was just finishing her custard when Dilly 
appeared at the door of the summer-house. 


i66 


A LITTLE MAID 


“ The minister has sent the Perkins boy with 
a message,” she announced, and stepped back. 
“ You jes’ speak your message now,” she said to 
the small boy standing behind her, giving him 
a gentle shove toward Mrs. Godfrey. 

“The minister says he can't come home 
until late, and that he hopes you’ll keep the 
little girl for company,” faltered the Perkins 
boy, who was thanked for bringing the message, 
and persuaded to sit down beside Mrs. Godfrey 
and make a good luncheon. 

“ I’ll let Dilly drive over and tell your mother 
that I want you to stay with me until to- 
morrow,” said Mrs. Godfrey, with her pretty 
smile as she turned to Penny. 

“ I’ll go,” offered the Perkins boy. “ My 
horse isn’t a mite tired,” and so it was settled 
that he should take the message to Mrs. Balfour, 
and that Penelope should remain as Mrs. God- 
frey’s guest until the next afternoon. 

They were just leaving the summer-house 
when the click of the gate made them look in 
that direction. “ There is Mrs. Arnold ! ” ex- 
claimed Mrs. Godfrey, hastening forward to 
meet her guest. 

Penny looked at the visitor, and stopped 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAY 167 

short. It was the woman to whom she had 
handed the package for Colonel Elliott. 

“ She will know me, I know she will I What 
shall I do ? ” thought Penny, turning as if to 
run away ; but it was too late. She heard Mrs. 
Godfrey welcome her neighbor, and say : 

“This is my little visitor, Penelope Balfour.” 

Penny made a curtsey, but did not dare raise 
her eyes. She heard the visitor say, “ How do 
you do, Penelope ? ” and followed the two ladies 
to the house. Mrs. Arnold was telling the 
minister’s wife of “ Will Barton’s ” capturing 
the English general. 

“ A boy brought a message to my house that 
night,” said Mrs. Arnold, after they were seated 
in the parlor, “ a boy no larger than Penelope,” 
and she turned a keen glance on the little 
girl, who was perched uneasily on the edge of 
the sofa. “ Perhaps ’twas your brother ? ” she 
added. 

“ Oh, no, ma’am ! My brother is a — a good 
deal larger than I am,” replied Penny. 

“I dare say. I only got a glimpse of the boy. 
But he was a brave lad, whoever he may be, 
and did the Colonies a good service,” said the 
woman. “ I guess you wish it had been your 


1 68 


A LITTLE MAID 


brother, now don’t you ? ” she concluded, with 
a friendly nod toward the little girl. 

“ No’m — yes’m,” answered Penny, not know- 
ing quite what answer she was making, but feel- 
i ing very pleased and happy, and wishing more 
than ever that she could tell the story of the 
message. 

“ But I s’pose I mustn’t until the tall man 
says I may,” she thought to herself, growing a 
little uncomfortable under the sharp looks 
which Mrs. Arnold now and then sent in her 
direction. But at last the visitor departed. 
Pomp and Pride escorted her as far as the door, 
and stood there in their most dignified manner 
until the gate clicked behind her ; then they 
returned and curled themselves into round 
woolly balls at Penny’s feet. 


CHAPTER XV 


SYLVIA 

“ Oh, my ! ” exclaimed Penny, stopping short 
at the door of the sitting-room. 

“What is it, my dear?” questioned Mrs. God- 
frey, who was close behind her. They were 
just coming in from the dining-room where 
they had had supper, and Penny’s sudden ex- 
clamation made Mrs. Godfrey stop and look at 
her little guest questioningly. 

“ It’s that ! It’s those ! ” explained Penny, 
pointing toward the rug in front of the open 
fireplace. When Penny and Mrs. Godfrey left 
the sitting-room a half hour earlier Pomp and 
Pride, two woolly white balls, were lying on that 
rug. Now Penny looked, and could hardly be- 
lieve her own eyes, for there were two small coal- 
black shiny creatures on the rug, and no trace 
of Pomp or Pride. Instantly Penny recalled the 
stories of “ witch-work ” that Black Hitty had 
told the little girls, and wondered to herself if 
some witch had come down the chimney and 
169 


A LITTLE MAID 


170 

changed the little white dogs into the little black 
kittens lying on the hearth-rug. 

“ Oh, it’s 1 Flight ’ and ‘ Folly/ ” laughed 
Mrs. Godfrey. “ Just think of your being here 
all day and not seeing my black kittens. They 
will make friends without an introduction.” 

“ I thought perhaps it was * witch-work/ ” 
said Penny, when she was comfortably seated 
on a low stool with Flight and Folly in her lap. 

Mrs. Godfrey laughed again. Penny won- 
dered if anybody else in all the world was as 
ready to laugh as the minister’s wife. 

“ What do you know about witches ? ” asked 
the minister’s wife. 

“ Black Hitty used to tell Florence and me 
witch stories,” said Penny, smoothing Folly’s 
black coat. “ She says that there’s a witch in 
every black crow that flies over a corn-field.” 

This made Mrs. Godfrey laugh so heartily 
that Penny found herself laughing, and ever 
after that the name “ witch ” always seemed 
very funny to her. While they were laughing 
steps sounded in the hallway and the minister 
entered the room. Penny was surprised to hear 
Mrs. Godfrey exclaim “ Frederic ! ” as she ran 
forward to meet him. Penny wondered to her- 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 171 

self if it could be right, even for Mrs. Godfrey, 
to call the minister “ Frederic.” 

Penny stood up holding Flight under one 
arm and Folly under the other, and made her 
very best curtsey. The minister patted the 
golden net. “ How do you like the names I 
gave the black kittens ? ” he asked. 

This seemed more amazing to Penny than 
did the kittens themselves, but she answered 
that she thought the kittens’ names sounded 
just like kittens. 

“ There, Grace ! Did I not say exactly those 
words ? ” laughed the minister, and now Penny 
ventured to smile at him, and it was not long 
before she was sure that she should like the 
minister just as well as she did Mrs. Godfrey. 

“ All the town is wondering about the boy 
who left the message at the Arnold house,” the 
minister said, as he spoke of Prescott’s being 
under guard in Providence. “ Colonel Barton 
thought it was your brother, Penny, but Theo- 
dore declares he knows nothing of it.” 

“ No, it was not Ted,” responded Penny, in so 
low a tone that Mrs. Godfrey thought the little 
girl must be sleepy, and hurried her off to 
bed. 


A LITTLE MAID 


172 

When Penny entered the little room where 
she was to sleep she exclaimed again, for she was 
sure that there was not another room so pretty 
this side of Boston. The wall was hung with 
the most wonderful paper that Penny had ever 
seen. There were tall green trees, and blossom- 
ing roses, and birds ; and walking among the 
roses were ladies, and small boys and girls. 
Before Penny could even think of saying her 
prayers she had to walk all about the room look- 
ing at this wonderful paper. 

“ Frederic sent to his brother in London for 
this paper,” explained Mrs. Godfrey. “ So you 
see it came across the Atlantic Ocean on purpose 
for this room.” 

The floor was covered with a bright carpet, 
and there was a bed with curtains of flowered 
chintz ; the chairs were covered with chintz like 
the bed-curtains, and it was a very bright and 
cheerful room. But Penny was all ready for 
bed before she discovered another wonder. 

“ Oh ! ” she said, as her eyes rested on a little 
rocking-chair standing near the head of the bed, 
and holding a wonderful wax doll dressed in 
blue satin. 

“ That's my very own doll,” explained Mrs. 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 173 

Godfrey. “ She came from London, too, when 
I was just ten years old and lived in Newport. 
And she was such a fine doll that I was never 
allowed to play with her, and so I never cared 
very much about her. Her name is Sylvia. 
Now, good-night, dear child ! ” and Mrs. God- 
frey went out and left Penny to go to sleep in 
the wonderful room. 

Penny lay close to the edge of the curtained 
bed where she could see the faint outline of 
Sylvia in the little chair. 

“ I guess I should think Sylvia was a * witch- 
doll ’ if I b’lieved in witches,” she thought. 
“ She is most too beautiful to be a truly doll.” 
Then Penny thought over the long happy day 
with Pomp and Pride and Flight and Folly, 
but her last waking thought was the wish that 
she could again see the tall American soldier and 
that he would say she might tell who “ Sammy ” 
was, and then, for the first time, she remembered 
that the man himself believed that a boy named 
Sammy had carried the message for Colonel 
Elliott. 

“ Oh, dear ! ” she whispered to herself. “ I do 
wish Florence was back at Stone House. I 
would tell Florence.” 


A LITTLE MAID 


*74 

When Penny awoke the next morning she 
said aloud : “ I haven't really waked up ! ” for 
just inside her doorway stood two little white 
dogs and two little black kittens. They did 
not make the slightest noise, but when Penny, 
suddenly remembering that she was visiting the 
minister's wife, sat up in bed the dogs and kit- 
tens scuttled out of the room. “ Just as if they 
had only looked in to see if I were really here," 
thought the little girl ; nor did she see them 
again until she went down-stairs quite ready for 
breakfast. 

“What are you thinking about, Penny?" 
asked Mrs. Godfrey when she was tying the 
strings of Penny's sunbonnet just before they 
started for the drive to Balfour farm. 

Penelope sighed. “ I guess I daren't tell you," 
she responded slowly, “ but I know I ought to. 
I was thinking that I was glad I said that verse 
in Sunday-school, because if I had not said it 
you would not have made friends with me, and 
I never should have seen Pomp and Pride or 
Flight and Folly, or Sylvia ! " and now Penny 
began to cry, for she felt quite sure that after 
such a confession Mrs. Godfrey could never like 
her again. 



THERE IN THE CHAISE STOOD THE LITTLE CHAIR 




OF NARRAGANSETT BAY 175 

There was indeed a puzzled look on Mrs. 
Godfrey’s kind face as she put her arm about the 
little girl, but she said quickly : “ We will al- 
ways be friends, dear child. And as I told you, 
there was no harm in the verse you repeated. 
But you do not know who is going to drive to 
Balfour farm with us,” and she led the way to 
the gate. 

Penny dried her eyes and followed slowly. 
She had already said her good-byes to the min- 
ister, to Dilly, to the kittens and to Pomp and 
Pride ; but she thought to herself that she sup- 
posed it must be the minister who would drive 
with them. But as she reached the side of the 
chaise, she saw a glimmer of blue satin. 

“ Sylvia I ” she exclaimed in delight. For 
there in the chaise stood the little chair, and in 
it sat the wonderful Sylvia. “ I am so glad. I 
was wishing my mother could see her,” said the 
delighted little girl, “ and she will be company 
for you on your way home.” 

What a wonderful ride that was for Penny ! 
Mrs. Godfrey was quite sure that Sylvia would 
like to sit in Penelope’s lap, and Penny quite for- 
got that she was too big to enjoy a doll’s society. 
As they rode along Mrs. Godfrey told Penny the 


A LITTLE MAID 


176 

story of Sylvia’s journey from London to New 
York and from New York to Newport, and be- 
fore the story was quite finished they had reached 
Balfour farm. 

Penelope was a very proud and happy little 
girl when she heard Mrs. Godfrey tell her mother 
that she, Penelope, had made the minister and 
his wife both wish that they had a little daughter 
exactly like Penelope Balfour. Then Sylvia 
and her chair were lifted from the chaise, and 
now Penny began to think that wonderful things 
would really never stop happening, for Mrs. 
Godfrey was saying : “ And now Sylvia is yours, 
Penny. I have always thought her too fine a 
doll to take comfort with, but you seem to have 
made friends with her, and I think you will 
both be happy/’ and Penny found herself stand- 
ing with the beautiful Sylvia in her arms, and 
the little chair on the grass beside her. 

Penny could never remember what she said to 
express her thanks to Mrs. Godfrey, or if she 
really thanked her at all. But in a moment she 
realized that Mrs. Godfrey was gone, and that 
Sylvia was her very own. Then how fast Penny 
talked, as she and her mother walked toward 
the house ! How much there was to tell ! The 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAY 177 

white puppies, the black kittens, the wonderful 
little room where she had slept, and Mrs. Arnold’s 
visit. 

“ And what was the very best part of it all, 
dear child ? ” questioned Mrs. Balfour. 

“ The very best part of it all is coming home 
and telling you all about it,” declared Penny 
happily. “ But, mother, I do think that Mrs. 
Godfrey is wonderful. Do you know she never 
said a word about my hair’s being cut off ; she 
never asked a single question about it,” Penny 
said, when she had changed her pretty muslin 
dress for her every-day gown, and put on the 
moccasin slippers instead of the kid ties she had 
worn on her visit. “ She did not even look as if 
she wished she knew why I cut it off,” continued 
the little girl. 

“ Well, Penny, Mrs. Godfrey is a lady, and 
ladies do not ask questions of visitors. But 
mothers ask questions; can’t you tell me why 
you wanted your hair sh^; c ?” responded her 
mother. 

But Penny did not answer, and Mrs. Balfour 
decided that the little girl hardly knew what had 
prompted her to do such a thing. 


CHAPTER XVI 

NEIGHBORS OR TORIES? 

Ted and Penny were sure that their father 
would soon appear at Balfour farm, and every 
day Penny went to the top of Bay berry Hill and 
looked across the bay hoping for the sight of a 
boat that might bring him. Ted sailed the 
“ Modeerf ” out toward the islands, keeping a 
sharp outlook, but a week had passed by since 
Penny’s visit to Mrs. Godfrey, and no news came 
from the Tiverton camp. 

So many things had happened immediately 
after Squire Dickinson’s departure that Penny 
at first did not really miss Florence. But now 
the days seemed very long, and she would often 
go and sit on the *<^ill where she and Florence 
had so often lingered, and wish that her little 
playmate was again in the Stone House. Sylvia 
was a great comfort to Penny. She took the 
doll with her on many of her walks, and ex- 
plained to Sylvia many things of which she 
178 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 179 

could not speak to any one. The blue satin 
dress had been carefully put away, and Penny 
had made the doll a serviceable dress of pieces 
of brown checked gingham from her mother’s 
“ piece bag.” 

“ Do you suppose father is ever coming, 
Ted?” she asked one morning as the brother 
and sister made their way to the shore. Penny 
had left Sylvia at home. Ted was carrying a 
small wooden pail and a number of tools. 

“ Of course he’s coming,” responded the boy. 
“ We may see him any time. Everybody says 
that Colonel Barton’s men dare do anything, 
and that now the English general is a prisoner 
the Americans are sure to win. Then father 
will be home to stay.” 

“ Goody ! ” exclaimed Penny, who always felt 
as if she were being praised when Prescott’s cap- 
ture was spoken of. “ What are you going to 
do with that yellow paint, Ted ? ” For as they 
reached the shore she had peeked into the 
bucket and discovered the yellow paint. 

“ Wait and see,” responded Ted, selecting a 
brush from the package of tools he had been 
carrying. 

Penny sat down close by the boat and watched 


i8o 


A LITTLE MAID 


him. After testing his brush to be quite sure 
that it was in good working order, Ted dipped 
it into the yellow paint, which he had carefully 
mixed, of oil and yellow ochre, and drew a broad 
splash over the name “ Modeerf." 

“ Oh, Ted ! " exclaimed Penny. 

“ You just wait ! ” said Ted. “ I'm not going 
to sail a boat under a twisted name. I'm going 
to paint ‘ Freedom ' in big letters on both sides, 
and weTl see if anybody dares to touch a boat 
with that name." 

Penny looked at her brother admiringly. For 
a moment she almost decided to tell him that 
she had carried the mysterious message, but Ted 
had begun to speak again : 

“ I say, Pen, I'll bet anything that Squire 
Dickinson will come back." 

“ No, they won't ever come back," answered 
Penny, despondently. 

Ted dipped his brush and drew a broad yel- 
low splash over “ Modeerf." Then he said : 
“ What would you say if I told you that Hitty 
and Black Aleck are there now ? " 

Penny could hardly speak for a moment. 
Then she managed to say, “ Wh-what makes 
you think that, Ted ? " 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 181 

“ Saw ’em ! ” responded Ted ; then glanc- 
ing at his sister’s astonished face he began to 
laugh. 

“ You look so funny, Pen,” he exclaimed. 
“ Your hair is half out of your net and hanging 
over your face, and you look as if you’d seen a 
witch ! ” 

“ There isn’t any such thing as a witch, and 
never mind about my hair. Tell me about see- 
ing Black Aleck and Hitty,” said Penny. 

“ Tell me what made mother cut off your 
hair ? ” demanded Ted. 

“ She didn’t,” Pen answered before she 
thought, but Ted only laughed. 

“ I happened to see her with the scissors in 
her hand. But she didn’t make a very good 
job of it,” he responded. “ Well, I saw smoke 
coming from Stone House chimney this morn- 
ing, and I just ran over to see what was going 
on, and there was Hitty frying a chicken and 
Black Aleck half asleep on the porch.” 

“ Well, that doesn’t mean that the Dickinsons 
are coming back,” said his sister ; “ it means that 
they will never come back ; that they have gone 
to England. Did you speak to them ? ” 

“ No,” said Ted. “ I don’t know why I 


A LITTLE MAID 


182 

didn't, but I just turned and ran. I didn't 
even tell mother." 

Penny jumped up. 

“ I'm going right up there this minute," she 
declared, and before Ted could say a word she 
was running across the field toward Stone 
House, and in a short time was standing at the 
kitchen door. 

“ Land's sake, chile ! " exclaimed Hitty. 
“ Wha' you been a-doin' to you'self ? " 

“ Never mind me, Hitty ! Where's Flor- 
ence ? " demanded Penny. 

“ I nebber seen anybody look like you do ! 
Your hair all witch-way," persisted Hitty. “ I 
guess Missy Florence won't scursely know you." 

“ Where is she? " asked Penny. 

“ Well, jus' this perticular minute she's up- 
stairs fas' asleep," said Hitty. “ You see we 
was a-trabbelin' all night ; didn’t get here till 
daybreak ; and Missy Florence and her ma is 
both sleepy." 

“ Oh, Hitty ! " said Penny, “ it's just like a 
dream." 

“ There, there," and the smiling black woman 
patted the little girl's shoulder. “ I'm glad 'nuff 
to be here, and so's Missy Florence and her ma. 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 183 

Squire Dickinson and mistress they’s gwine to 
stay up in Boston a spell longer.” 

“ When Florence wakes up mayn’t she come 
down and see me ? ” pleaded Penny. 

“ I reckon she will ! I’ll sure tell her what 
you say. Whatever you been a-doin’ to your 
hair, Miss Penelope ? ” responded Hitty. 

But Penny did not stop to answer ; she was 
eager to tell her mother this wonderful news, 
and was running swiftly toward home. 

Hitty stepped out on the porch and watched 
the little girl. 

“ Her hair do look somethin’ dreadful,” she 
said aloud, and then looked about with a smile 
of satisfaction. “ Seems mighty good to be safe 
back again where we b’long,” she declared, as 
she returned to her work. 

Mrs. Balfour was as much surprised as even 
Penelope could wish at hearing of the return 
of part of the Dickinson family, and wondered, 
in her own thoughts, if this might not mean 
that the Americans were nearing a complete 
victory. 

“ And Florence is coming to see me. Can’t I 
take Sylvia out to the wall and wait for her ? ” 
asked Penny. 


A LITTLE MAID 


184 

“ Yes, but tell Florence to come and see me 
before she goes home,” responded Mrs. Balfour. 

Penny established Sylvia as comfortably as an 
uneven stone wall would permit, and then sat 
watching for Florence. It was only two weeks 
since they had said good-bye, as they thought 
forever, on this very place ; but as Penny 
thought of all that had happened since Florence 
gave her the chain and locket it seemed as if 
years had separated them. 

Penny did not wait on the wall. The moment 
she saw Florence she started to run to meet her. 
Both the little girls were smiling, and Penny 
was the first to speak. “ Pm so glad you are 
back, Florence.” 

“ So am I,” rejoined Florence. “ But, oh, 
Penny ” 

“ Don't say a word about my hair. It's a 
secret,” said Penny eagerly. 

“ But how can it be a secret ? Everybody 
can see it ! ” responded the surprised Florence. 

“ I don't mean that. I mean the reason I cut 
it off is a secret,” said Penelope. “ Come to the 
wall and see Sylvia. Oh, Florence, I am so 
glad you are here. You don't suppose you will 
ever go away again, do you? ” 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 185 

“ I don’t believe we shall,” replied Florence. 
“ See, Penny ! ” and she held up Penny’s golden 
coin, now fastened to a chain ; “ my father had 
it put on this chain, and I’ve worn it just as I 
promised.” 

“ And I have worn your locket every minute. 
Let’s keep the promise and always wear them, 
even if you didn’t go to England,” responded 
Penny, and Florence eagerly agreed. 

There were so many things to tell each other 
that it was dinner-time before they had half 
finished ; and Florence had to run home, 
promising to come again the following day. 

“ Mother, Florence says that she doesn’t want 
her pony back,” Penny announced as she and 
Ted came in all ready for the midday meal. 
“ She told me to tell Ted that it was a truly 
present, and that her father was going to get her 
another one.” 

“Then I may keep it, mayn’t I, mother?” 
said Ted. 

“ We won’t decide on that just yet,” responded 
Mrs. Balfour. “ It was a very generous gift, and 
now that the Dickinsons are back perhaps you 
may not want to keep the pony, Ted.” 

Ted did not look up, or make any answer to 


1 86 


A LITTLE MAID 


this suggestion. He had become very fond of 
the white pony ; and he almost wished the 
Dickinsons had gone to England if their return 
meant that he must give the little creature 
back. 

“ If the squire comes back hell have to swear 
to be loyal to the American government,” Ted 
said. “ Any man who won! will have to leave 
Rhode Island.” 

“ Well, we will wait and see what Squire 
Dickinson will do,” Mrs. Balfour responded 
quietly ; “ but after you finish your dinner, 
Ted, you had best put on your Sunday clothes. 
Penny and I will put on our best gowns and we 
will all walk up to the Stone House and see 
Mrs. Dickinson and tell her how glad we are 
that she and Florence have returned safely.” 

Ted moved about uneasily, and muttered the 
word “ Tories,” but not in so low a tone but that 
his mother heard him. 

“ Theodore,” she said sharply, “ before you 
change your clothes harness the pony into the 
cart. I have decided that you cannot keep it.” 

“ Oh, mother ! ” pleaded the boy. 

But Mrs. Balfour did not relent. She was 
sure that Ted fully understood why she had so 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAY 187 

decided, and Ted was thoroughly ashamed of 
himself for the muttered word. But he felt it 
was a very hard punishment, and as he har- 
nessed the pretty little creature the boy was as 
near tears as a boy of fourteen could be. 

Both the children were very quiet on their 
way to Stone House. Ted would not ride, nor 
did he offer a seat to Penny or his mother. He 
led the pony, and Mrs. Balfour and Penelope 
walked along the foot-path by the side of the 
road. 

Mrs. Dickinson gave them a warm welcome 
and repeated that the pony was Ted’s property 
if he wished to keep it. 

“ You will let Theodore decide, won’t you, 
Mrs. Balfour ? ” said Mrs. Dickinson, and Ted’s 
mother answered quietly : 

“ Certainly, Mrs. Dickinson.” 

But Ted knew that by that whispered word 
against his neighbors he had forfeited the right 
to accept a favor from them, and said bravely : 

“ I’d like to keep the pony, Mrs. Dickinson, 
but I can’t.” 

Mrs. Dickinson smiled and nodded. She 
thought she understood the reason, for she 
knew that the war had made the Balfours less 


1 8 8 


A LITTLE MAID 


prosperous than formerly, and she imagined 
that perhaps they could not afford to feed the 
little animal. So no more was said, and Ted 
and his mother soon started for home, but 
Penny was to stay for an hour or two with 
Florence. 

Ted walked silently beside his mother until 
they reached their own gate ; then as he held it 
open for her to pass through, he said quickly : 
“ Mother, I'm awfully ashamed. It’s all right 
not to keep the pony.” 

There were tears in Mrs. Balfour's eyes when 
she answered him. 

“ I knew you'd understand, Ted,” she said. 


CHAPTER XVII 


THE SECRET IS TOLD 

Florence listened eagerly to Penny’s account 
of her visit to Mrs. Godfrey. Penny did not 
have very much to say about Colonel Barton, 
for she was quite sure that Florence would not 
want to hear it ; and whenever any reference 
was made to her short hair Penny immediately 
became silent. 

“ Now tell me everything that happened to 
you while you were away, Florence,” said 
Penny one day nearly a week after Florence’s 
return to Stone House. The two little girls 
were on the shore, near Ted’s boat, and Penny 
had just explained that the boat’s name had 
always been “ Freedom.” 

“ And nobody ever guessed it ! ” exclaimed 
Florence admiringly. 

“ Oh, yes ; one man guessed it,” said Penny, 
recalling the tall man from Tiverton. 

“ Who ? ” questioned Florence. 

“ I don’t know. ’Twas a tall man I met one 
189 


A LITTLE MAID 


190 

day,” answered Penny. “ You haven't told me 
a word, Florence, about what happened to you 
going to Boston,” she concluded, a little re- 
proachfully. 

“ Why, nothing happened ! ” responded Flor- 
ence in a tone of surprise. “ It was night, and I 
went to sleep, and then it was morning, and 
pretty soon we were in Boston.” 

“ Was that all?” Penny's voice expressed 
so much disappointment that Florence almost 
wished that her grandfather's coach had been 
attacked by “ rebels,” or that some adventure 
worth recounting had befallen her. 

“ That's all,” she acknowledged, “ only that 
father was expecting us, and we stayed in a big 
brick house near the river.” 

“ What did you do ? ” urged Penny. “Didn't 
you see any soldiers, or anything interesting ? ” 

“ Grandmother Dickinson taught me some 
embroidery stitches, and my father took me to 
walk on Boston Common,” said Florence. 

“ Then I'd rather stay right here than go to 
Boston,” declared Penny, “ for more things than 
that happened here.” 

“ Yes, you visited the minister's wife,” agreed 
Florence. 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 191 

“ More than that,” said Penny. 

“ You cut off your hair,” said Florence. 

“ More than that,” said Penny again, and at 
Florence’s look of wondering surprise Penny 
could no longer resist the temptation to tell 
Florence her great secret : “ I carried a message 
to Colonel Elliott. It was night, and I walked 
to the crossroads and back again. A tall man 
brought the letter, and told me to ask * Sammy ’ 
to take it. I played I was 1 Sammy.’ I cut off 
my hair, and dressed in Ted’s clothes. And no- 
body knows ’twas me.” 

For a moment neither of the little girls spoke. 
Then Florence said : “ Then you helped capture 
General Prescott.” 

“ I guess so,” replied Penny ; “ anyway the 
message was for Colonel Elliott to come and get 
him. And after I got home and was fast asleep 
he did come, and carried General Prescott off in 
a coach ; and I never saw him.” 

As Penny finished speaking there was a 
scrambling sound from the other side of the boat, 
a muttered exclamation, and Ted stumbled to his 
feet. 

“ Ted Balfour ! You’ve been listening ! ” de- 
clared Penny angrily. “ Yes, you have. You 


A LITTLE MAID 


192 

hid there on purpose, and now you have heard 
my secret. You ought to be ashamed." Penny 
looked very angry as she stood facing her 
brother. 

Ted looked at her steadily. “ I am ashamed / 7 
he answered, “ ashamed of you, Pen Balfour ! 
You stole my chance to take that message. You 
know you did. But I didn't hide there to 
listen / 7 and the boy's face flushed angrily. “ I 
was fast asleep, and when you began to talk it 
woke me and I thought I'd wait a minute and 
jump out and frighten you. And then I heard." 

“ I don't believe it. You listened," declared 
Penny. 

Ted walked off toward the house without an- 
other word. 

“ He will tell mother. Florence, what shall I 
do?" exclaimed Penny, quite forgetting how 
proud she had been of her errand and its suc- 
cess. 

The tide was coming up, and the water now 
lapped the stern of the “ Freedom " ; and as 
Penny looked at the boat a sudden resolve took 
possession of her. 

“ Get into the boat, Florence, quick ! " she 
commanded, and Florence obeyed. 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 193 

Penny now pushed the boat out into the water, 
sprang in after Florence, and began to row out of 
the little cove. 

“ Where are you going, Penny ? ” asked Flor- 
ence. 

“ I’m going after my father,” said Penny, “ and 
I am going to find that tall man who brought 
back my sunbonnet.” 

“ Will it take long to find them ? ” questioned 
Florence, a little fearfully. 

“ I don’t know,” said Penny. 

At this Florence began to cry. She wished 
that she had not got into the boat. She sud- 
denly remembered that Penny’s father was a 
rebel soldier, and she wished with all her heart 
that she was with her mother at Stone House. 

But Florence did not cry very long. The sun 
shone brightly, a pleasant air came over the 
smooth waters of the bay, and Penny looked 
very brave and unafraid. Perhaps Penny knew 
just where to find Mr. Balfour, thought Florence, 
and they would soon be home again. 

As the boat shot out beyond the point and 
headed toward Prudence Island, Penny’s anger 
began to cool, and she wished to herself that she 
had not accused Ted of listening. 


194 


A LITTLE MAID 


“ I don’t believe Ted did listen,” she an- 
nounced suddenly. 

“ Of course he didn’t,” agreed Florence. “ I 
guess he couldn’t help hearing.” 

“ I wish I hadn’t said I didn’t believe him,” 
continued Penny, even more meekly. 

“ Well, you can tell him so when you go 
home,” said Florence hopefully, “ and, Penny, 
I ought to go home this minute. I’m afraid 
my mother won’t want me to go so far in a 
boat.” 

Penny stopped rowing. “ I didn’t think 
about that. I’ll take you right home,” she said 
meekly, and in a short time the “ Freedom” was 
fast at her accustomed landing, and the two 
little friends stood on the shore. 

“ Penny,” began Florence, slipping her hand 
over her friend’s, “ I won’t ever tell your secret, 
and, Penny, I don’t believe Ted will either.” 

A little smile crept around Penny’s mouth. 

“ Of course he won’t,” she responded. Penny 
was feeling very much ashamed of herself, but 
she hardly knew how to straighten out the 
tangle. “ I don’t want you to tell, not yet, 
Florence,” she said, as she bade Florence good- 
bye and went toward home. 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 195 

Ted did not look up or speak to Penny when 
she came into the house ; but Penny was sure 
that he had not told their mother what he had 
overheard. 

It seemed a very long day to the little girl. 
She did not find pleasure in playing with Sylvia. 
When she tried to knit on the woolen stocking 
she dropped stitches, forgot to count, and got 
her work in such a tangle that she had to take 
it to her mother to straighten out. 

They were in their favorite seats under the 
big oak ; Ted was busy in the garden. Penny 
watched her mother unravel her work. 

“ Mother/ 7 she exclaimed suddenly, “Pm just 
as miserable as I can be. I hate secrets.” 

Mrs. Balfour put the stocking down and drew 
Penelope into her lap. “ Tell mother/ 7 she said 
gently, and Penny gladly told the whole story. 

“ And I hid the blue sunbonnet under a log/ 7 
concluded the little girl, “ and I guess Ted 
won’t ever like me again.” 

“ We must get the sunbonnet before it is com- 
pletely spoiled,” said Mrs. Balfour, “ and as for 
Ted, why, my dear, ‘ a brother is born for ad- 
versity/ 77 she quoted, “ and I think he will 
understand when I tell him all about it. 77 


196 A LITTLE MAID 

“Will you tell him, mother ? ” and Penny’s 
voice sounded more hopeful. 

“ Yes, dear child. And we must agree not to 
have any more secrets/’ said Mrs. Balfour. 

“ Never any more ! ” agreed Penny earnestly. 
“ I’ll go and fetch Ted,” she added, running off 
toward the garden. 

It was a half hour later when Mrs. Balfour saw 
the brother and sister coming across the field 
together. They were talking earnestly, and 
Mrs. Balfour put down her work with a happy 
smile. 

“ I’ve told him,” Penny called out as they 
came nearer. 

“ That’s right, my dear,” said Mrs. Balfour. 

“ Pen had good courage, didn’t she, mother? ” 
Ted said as the three talked over the troubled 
days that had passed. “ I think she’s earned 
the name of Sammy.” 

“ I ought to have let Ted take the message,” 
confessed Penny. 

“ It’s all right ; all in the family,” rejoined 
Ted laughingly. “ After supper we’d better go 
down and dig out that blue sunbonnet.” 

“ I guess I’ll stir up some spice cakes for 
supper,” said their mother, rolling up her work 


OF NAR R A GANSE TT BAY 197 

and starting for the house, closely followed by 
the two children. 

“ Mother,” exclaimed Ted suddenly, “ there 
are two men out by our barn. See ! ” 

“ It’s father ! ” exclaimed Penny. “ IPs 
father, and the tall man who brought back 
my sunbonnet,” and it was Penny who was the 
first to reach her soldier father and be clasped 
in his arms. “ Don’t say a word about my hair. 
Don’t, father ! ” pleaded the little girl, as she saw 
her father’s disapproving look as it rested on her 
shorn head. But of course the story had to be 
retold. But this time Roger Sherwin, for that 
was the tall man’s name, had so much to say in 
praise of Penelope’s courage that the little girl 
began to feel quite proud of herself. 

The supper table was spread with the best 
supper that Mrs. Balfour and Penny could pre- 
pare, and it was a happy party gathered 
around the board. Penny’s father had a 
month’s leave of absence, and Roger Sherwin 
was on his way to Connecticut. It was dark 
when he bade the Balfours good-bye and started 
on his journey. 

“ I shall see you again, little maid,” he said to 
Penny. “ You have been a good and faithful 


198 A LITTLE MAID 

messenger in a good cause,” and then he was 
gone. 

“ Say, Pen, we forgot all about the blue sun- 
bonnet,” said Ted. “ We’ll go down and get it 
to-morrow morning.” 


CHAPTER XVIII 


A BIRTHDAY PARTY 

“ Glad to see your boat isn’t ashamed of her 
name/’ said Mr. Balfour, when he and Ted went 
down to the shore and looked at the little boat. 

“ It wasn’t being ashamed, it was just being 
careful, father,” replied Ted, “ and Pen and I 
used to think it was great fun to hear Squire 
Dickinson say that he thought 1 Modeerf ’ was a 
fine name for a boat.” 

“ I like it better the way it is now,” said Mr. 
Balfour laughingly, “ but I heard good news 
about young Mr. Dickinson, Florence’s father. 
I was told that he had given up his position in 
the employ of the Crown and declared himself a 
loyal American.” 

“ Perhaps the squire will change too,” re- 
sponded Ted hopefully. But Mr. Balfour shook 
his head doubtfully ; he had little hope that the 
old squire would give up his lifelong convic- 
tions. 

While Ted and his father made the boat ready 
199 


200 


A LITTLE MAID 


for their fishing excursion Penny was very busy 
making a birthday present for Mrs. Godfrey, 
for that very morning Dilly had appeared at the 
Balfour farm with an invitation for Penny and 
Ted to come to the parsonage the next afternoon 
to Mrs. Godfrey’s birthday party. Dilly also 
had an invitation for Florence, who had come 
running over to say that she could go if Ted and 
Penny would go with her in the pony-cart. 
Mrs. Balfour had gladly given her consent, and, 
as soon as Dilly had set out on her return jour- 
ney, Penny said : 

“ I do wish that I could make a birthday pres- 
ent for Mrs. Godfrey. Couldn’t I, mother?” 

“ Of course you can,” responded Mrs. Balfour, 
“ but you will have to decide what you will 
make and begin at once, for you will not have 
much time.” 

“ Couldn’t I make her a sewing-bag ? ” Penny 
asked eagerly. “ There are lots of pieces of the 
blue muslin.” 

“ Yes, indeed,” agreed her mother ; “ run up and 
get my piece-bag, and bring down the roll of card- 
board from the lower drawer in the high-boy.” 

“ I want to make it all myself,” Penny said, 
as she spread out the cardboard and bits of 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 201 


muslin on the kitchen table, and Mrs. Balfour 
nodded her approval. 

Penelope brought a small plate from the 
closet and laid it down on the cardboard ; then 
taking her pencil she carefully marked around 
the plate’s edge and then cut out the circle. 
Then she laid the pasteboard circle on the mus- 
lin and cut two muslin circles, each a little larger 
than the cardboard, and basted them carefully 
over the cardboard, turning in the edges, and 
felling them neatly together. This took some 
time ; but before dinner was ready Penny had 
finished the bottom of the work-bag, and had 
cut out and basted the pockets on the strip of 
muslin that was to form the bag. 

“ I can finish it this afternoon,” she said, when 
her mother told her that she must put away her 
sewing and call her father and Ted to dinner. 

After the dinner dishes were washed, Penny 
took her work down to the seat under the oak 
tree, and it was not long before she saw Florence 
coming across the field. Florence carried a 
small work-bag, and when she saw that Penny 
was sewing busily she seemed greatly pleased. 

“ I’m making a present for Mrs. Godfrey,” 
said Penny, as Florence sat down beside her. 


202 


A LITTLE MAID 


“ So am I ! ” responded Florence, drawing a 
small square of fine cambric from her work-bag. 
“ See, I have hemstitched this handkerchief, and 
mother marked two ‘ G’s ’ in this corner for me 
to embroider.” 

“ It will be lovely ! ” declared Penny admir- 
ingly. 

For a few moments the two little girls stitched 
busily without speaking, and then Florence said, 
“ Penny, what do you think my father has 
done?” 

“ What ? ” responded Penny, looking up from 
her work in surprise, for Florence spoke in a 
very low tone as if she were not sure that she 
ought to speak at all. 

“ My father has changed his religion. He 
isn't a Tory any longer. He’s an American,” 
said Florence. 

Penny looked at her little friend in amaze- 
ment. 

“ That isn’t religion,” she said. 

“ What is it then ? ” demanded Florence. 

Penny shook her head. “ I don’t exactly 
know,” she confessed, “ only ’tisn’t religion. 
Religion is Presbyterian and Episcopal.” 

“ Well, I thought ’twas religion,” said Flor- 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 203 

ence, “ because grandpa said ’twas a very serious 
thing to do. But now ’tis done, and my father 
is coming here to live and be a citizen. ” 

Penny looked at Florence in more surprise 
than ever. 

“ What’s a 4 citizen 9 ? ” she asked. 

“ It’s what my father is going to be,” replied 
Florence. “ I don’t really know what it is, but 
it is something splendid or my father wouldn’t 
be it.” 

“ Umm,” responded Penelope a little doubt- 
fully, thinking to herself that she would ask 
her father what a “ citizen ” really was. She 
wondered to herself if it might not be another 
word for “ Tory.” 

Before supper-time the little work-bag and 
the pretty handkerchief were finished, and both 
the little girls were eager for the next day to 
come. Penny had told Florence about the 
wonderful white dogs, and the pretty black 
kittens, and Florence was looking forward to 
being introduced to “ Pomp ” and “ Pride.” 

Early the next morning Ted was off to the 
woods, promising to be back before dinner-time. 
Penny wondered what Ted had gone after, and 
an hour before dinner started off to meet him. 


A LITTLE MAID 


204 

She was about half-way up the pasture slope 
when she heard his “ Hulloa,” and saw him 
coming. He was carrying something very care- 
fully, and when Penny was near enough to see 
what it was she exclaimed admiringly : 

“ Oh, Ted, that is lovely ! IPs for Mrs. God- 
frey, isn’t it ? ” 

“ Of course it is,” said Ted. “ Do you think 
she will like it ? ” 

“ Better than anything ! ” declared Penny. 

Ted was carrying an oval-shaped basket woven 
from small pliable branches of pine. It was 
filled with feathery green moss, and quantities 
of blossoming blue forget-me-nots. 

“ I wanted to take her something,” said Ted, 
and Penny again declared that his gift was 
beautiful. 

Early in the afternoon the three children 
started for Mrs. Godfrey’s. Ted’s basket, care- 
fully protected from the sun, was under the 
seat of the pony-cart, while Penny and Florence, 
with their gifts daintily wrapped, told Ted again 
that his gift would be the prettiest that Mrs. 
Godfrey could possibly have. 

As Ted looked at the pretty white pony he 
gave a regretful sigh. But he had never said a 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 205 

word of his affection for the little animal, nor 
of how sorry he was that he could no longer 
take care of it. 

“ This is where Mr. Roger Sherwin spoke to 
me,” said Penny as they drove by the place 
where she had hidden the sunbonnet. 

“ My mother says you are a little heroine,” 
said Florence, greatly to Penny’s delight. 

“ That’s what father says,” declared Ted, and 
Penelope began to think that she was really the 
happiest girl in the world. 

Mrs. Godfrey was expecting them, and there 
were a number of other children in the garden. 
There was Philip Perkins, who had brought the 
message from the minister on the day of Penny’s 
visit, and several little girls and boys whom 
Penny had seen at Sunday-school. 

Mrs. Godfrey seemed greatly pleased with the 
sewing-bag and handkerchief, but Ted’s basket 
of moss and wild forget-me-nots she declared 
was the most beautiful gift that she had ever 
received. 

Florence soon made friends with one of the 
little girls from the village, and Penelope found 
herself standing between two girls of about her 
own age whose names she did not know. One 


206 


A LITTLE MAID 


of them looked at her so sharply that Penny 
became rather uncomfortable. 

“ You’re the girl who said that verse about 
the islands right out loud in Sunday-school,” 
said one, looking at Penny with an unpleasant 
little smile. 

“ There was no harm in the verse ; but I ” 

began Penny, but before she could finish the 
other girl said sharply : 

“ Yes, and you are the girl who cut off your 
hair and dressed up in boys’ clothes. Come, 
Nancy, I guess we don’t want to play with her,” 
and with a scornful Took over her shoulder the 
tall girl and her companion moved away. 

Penelope looked after them in angry surprise. 
She had forgotten all about the verse, and she 
was quite sure that in carrying the message 
she had done a service to be proud of. But to 
be scorned by two girls seemed very hard. Just 
then she heard a pleasant voice speak her name, 
and she turned to find Mrs. Arnold smiling at her. 

“ I think you and I ought to be friends, Miss 
Penelope Balfour,” said Mrs. Arnold, “ for you 
and I sent that message to Colonel Elliott. You 
were a brave girl to come to my house that night. 
Now come with me to the sitting-room where 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 207 

Mrs. Godfrey has a fine new game for us to play,” 
and taking Penny by the hand she led her 
toward the house, apparently not noticing 
Penny’s unhappy silence. 

In a few moments all the children were in 
the sitting-room. “ There is just time for a 
game before supper,” Mrs. Godfrey announced. 
“ Draw your chairs close together in a circle. 
Now, no one must speak or laugh. The one 
who breaks this rule will have to stand in the 
corner, face to the wall, for five minutes.” 

The children smiled at each other. But when 
Penny found her chair next to the tall girl 
who had spoken so rudely to her in the garden 
she was almost tempted to speak so that she 
could go and stand with her face to the wall, 
for she was sure that would be more pleasant 
than sitting next to Ann Maria Talbot. 

“ Penelope Balfour, you are to be the leader 
in the game,” announced Mrs. Godfrey, with 
her charming smile, and Penny smiled back, and 
began to feel her happy self once more. What 
did she care for Ann Marias or Nancys as long 
as Mrs. Godfrey was her friend ? “ Penelope,” 

went on Mrs. Godfrey, “ you are to tap your 
neighbor’s knee, your neighbor on the right 


208 


A LITTLE MAID 


She is to tap her neighbor, and so on around the 
circle back to the leader. Then Penny will be- 
gin and tap both of Ann Maria’s knees. The 
third time round she will tap both knees and 
one cheek ; the fourth time both knees and both 
cheeks. The fifth time Penny will take hold of 
her neighbor’s ear and all the circle will do the 
same. And,” concluded Mrs. Godfrey, “if no 
one has laughed or said a word by that time I 
shall think that you are all very remarkable 
children.” 

Penny was sure now that she would enjoy the 
game, and looked forward to the moment when 
she could tweak Ann Maria’s ear. Florence 
was on Penny’s other side. The game began by 
Penny’s giving Ann Maria’s knee a sharp tap. 
The whole circle was smiling and interested, and 
when it was time to tap Ann Maria’s cheek 
Penny’s tap was almost a slap. Ann Maria 
winced and gave her neighbor an angry glance. 
When the time came for the tweak of the ear, 
however, Ann Maria’s patience was exhausted 
and she jumped up exclaiming, “ I don’t like 
this game. I didn’t come here to be slapped by 
Penny Balfour.” 

The other children looked at her in horrified 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 209 

surprise. To be rude at a party, at the minister's 
wife's party at that, seemed an almost unbelieve- 
able thing. But Mrs. Godfrey did not seem to 
mind. 

“ So Ann Maria has lost the game," she said 
pleasantly, “ and she will have to stand facing 
the wall for five minutes. As you are all polite 
and well-brought up children, I know you will 
not want Ann Maria to stand alone, so let us all 
stand face to the wall with her," and Mrs. God- 
frey faced about toward the wall. The children 
laughingly obeyed. 

“ Isn't Mrs. Godfrey an angel ? " Florence whis- 
pered to Penny as they walked together out to 
the dining-room where Dilly stood smiling at 
each little guest, and all ready to help them to 
the delicious little biscuit, preserved fruit, 
creamed potatoes and chicken. 

In the center of the table was the big round 
birthday cake with its pink candles. When the 
children had finished with the other dainties 
Mrs. Godfrey lighted the candles. 

“ Florence," said Mrs. Godfrey, “ you are to 
blow out the first candle, and make a wish aloud ; 
then the rest of you are to follow in the same 
way." 


210 


A LITTLE MAID 


Florence obeyed a little timidly, blowing out 
the candle and then making a little bow to Mrs. 
Godfrey she said, “ I wish you many happy 
birthdays.” 

There was a little murmur of approval from 
all the other guests, and as each one blew out a 
candle they, too, bowed and said, “ I wish you 
happiness.” 


CHAPTER XIX 


A YOUNG BEAR 

“We must plan for a day in the blueberry 
pasture. The berries are at their best now, and 
I want to dry as many as possible this year/' 
said Mrs. Balfour the day after Mrs. Godfrey's 
birthday party. “ I think we had better go 
to-morrow," she concluded. 

The blueberry pasture was about a mile dis- 
tant from the Balfour farm, and every summer 
the family made a day's excursion to gather the 
berries. They carried a picnic dinner, and 
Penny and Ted always thought it one of the 
most pleasant excursions of the summer. 

The berries were made into pies, blueberry 
sauce, and preserves ; and beside these Mrs. 
Balfour always spread a large quantity of berries 
to dry on papers on the attic floor. These dried 
berries were very appetizing in the long winter 
months, and were used in puddings, cakes and 
cookies. 


211 


212 A LITTLE MAID 

“ Mother, may I ask Florence to go with us ? ” 
said Penny. 

“ Yes, and perhaps Mrs. Dickinson may like 
to go. You may run up and ask them,” re- 
sponded Mrs. Balfour. “ Tell them that we 
want to make an early start, and that we plan 
to stay all day.” 

Penny ran off toward Stone House. Mr. and 
Mrs. Balfour watched her with smiling faces. 

“ Penny feels as if she had helped win a great 
triumph for the American cause,” said Mrs. 
Balfour. “ Ever since she confessed her part in 
carrying the message she has been as happy as 
a lark.” 

“ She really did Colonel Barton a great 
service,” said Mr. Balfour. “ Sherwin says that 
by Penny's not speaking of the message, and 
obeying his directions exactly there was not 
much danger of discovery. I am proud of the 
child's courage.” 

“ They are both good children, and if the war 
were over we could indeed be happy,” responded 
Mrs. Balfour. 

“ 'Tis practically over now,” declared Mr. 
Balfour. “ I dare say by another summer 
Colonel Sullivan will have ten thousand loyal 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 213 

men in Rhode Island, and a French fleet in 
Narragansett Bay to drive out the British ships ; 
and then we shall have little to trouble us.” 

Mrs. Dickinson said that she and Florence 
would enjoy the excursion to the blueberry 
pasture and would be on hand early the next 
morning. 

“ My father will be here very soon,” said 
Florence, “ and I know what a i citizen ’ is. 
A citizen is a man who obeys the laws he helps 
to make,” and Florence looked very proud of 
having discovered such an important piece of 
knowledge. 

“ That is what a good citizen does,” added Mrs. 
Dickinson, “ such a citizen as Penny’s father.” 

Penny gave a little sigh of relief. If Mr. 
Dickinson was coming back to Stone House 
because he intended to be like her father, Penny 
was sure that all would be well. 

The next morning was clear and pleasant, and 
Ted and his mother had just finished packing 
the basket of luncheon when Mrs. Dickinson 
and Florence appeared.' 

Mrs. Dickinson carried a covered basket, 
evidently well filled, while Florence had two 
baskets woven of grass and rushes. These 


A LITTLE MAID 


214 

baskets were made by the Indians, many of 
whom still wandered about the shores of Nar- 
ragansett Bay, and who now and then visited 
the houses of the settlers to exchange their 
baskets for food or clothing. 

Florence wore a neat gingham dress and sun- 
bonnet. Since her return from Boston she no 
longer was dressed in embroidered white dresses 
and dainty shoes. 

“ You’ll have better times now, Florence,” 
Penny said approvingly, “ because you won’t 
have to be so careful of your dress.” 

The little party made their way along the 
pleasant path through the pine woods, crossed 
an open field and then reached the pasture 
where the blueberries grew in great abundance. 

“ We had better decide where we will have 
luncheon and put the lunch baskets there before 
we begin to pick berries,” said Mr. Balfour. 

“ Amethyst Brook is the best place,” declared 
Ted, leading the way up a little slope covered 
with young pine trees, to where a big chestnut 
tree made a pleasant shade, and where Amethyst 
Brook came dashing over its rocky bed in a 
foamy waterfall. 

“ I did not know there was such a beautiful 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAY 215 

place as this so near Stone House,” said Mrs. 
Dickinson, as Ted took her lunch basket and 
put it among the cool ferns near the brook. 

The blueberry bushes grew all up the slope, 
and were covered with ripe berries, and in a few 
minutes they were all picking, calling now and 
then to each other. 

Penelope and Florence kept close together, 
and followed the brook where it came down 
across the pasture. They talked over the birth- 
day party, and Penny confided to Florence that 
she really had 4 4 slapped,” instead of tapped, the 
cheek of Ann Maria Talbot. 

“ And Pm not a mite sorry, not a single mite,” 
said Penny, “ for she wasn't polite.” 

“ Served her right,” agreed Florence, “ but I 
don't believe she had a very good time.” 

“ Horrid people never do have good times,” 
said Penny firmly. “ I know that, because 
when I do hateful things I spoil all my good 
times.” 

They soon filled their baskets and carried them 
to the big chestnut tree and emptied them into 
the large baskets, and then started out again. 

“Don't go far away, children,” called Mr. Bal- 
four. 


2l6 


A LITTLE MAID 


“ There are splendid berries on the other side 
of the brook/’ said Penny, as the two little girls 
made their way along the bank of the stream. 

“ But we couldn’t get across,” responded 
Florence. “ There are all those sharp rocks, 
and it’s deep.” 

“ We could take off our shoes and stockings 
and wade. Come on, Florence, let’s do it. The 
water would be so cool and nice.” 

Florence was usually quite ready to do any- 
thing that Penny might suggest, but she looked 
at the rushing water a little doubtfully. But 
Penny’s shoes and stockings were off, and Flor- 
ence followed her example. 

“We’ll carry them in our baskets,” said 
Penny, wading boldly in. Florence followed, 
and the stream was crossed without any adven- 
ture. The girls dried their feet on the warm 
moss, put on their shoes and stockings, and 
began filling their baskets again. 

The bushes grew very thick, and as they 
pushed their way further in they soon were out 
of the sound of the brook ; but they were talking 
busily, exclaiming over the size and ripeness of 
the berries, and not until their baskets were filled 
did they think of their whereabouts. 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAY 217 

“ There are blaeberry bushes everywhere,” 
said Florence suddenly. “ I can't see any 
brook.” 

“But I can see the big tree,” said Penny, 
“ and we might as well start back. It must be 
'most time for luncheon.” 

“ The tree seems further and further away, 
doesn't it, Penny ? ” said Florence in a tired 
voice, after they had been pushing their way 
among the bushes for a long time. 

“ I can't see it at all ! ” exclaimed Penny. 
They now came out from the bushes to an open 
stretch of rocky ground. Just beyond this was 
a thick growth of pine trees. “ I don't know 
this place at all,” said Penny. “ I guess we'd 
better go back the way we came.” 

“ I don't want to go back into those bushes,” 
said Florence. “ If we climb up on that ledge 
perhaps we can see where the brook is.” 

“ Perhaps we can,” agreed Penny hopefully, 
and the two little girls clambered up over the 
rocks until they reached the summit of the 
ledge. 

“ It's just woods everywhere, isn't it, Penny ?” 
said Florence. “ What isn't blueberry bushes is 
woods. I'm dreadful thirsty.” 


2l8 


A LITTLE MAID 


The July sun beat down hotly on the rocks, 
and after looking vainly for some familiar land- 
mark the girls left the ledge and sat down to 
rest in the shadow of a high rock. They ate 
blueberries from their baskets, and talked about 
the luncheon in the baskets under the big chest- 
nut tree. 

“ Hitty made some sugar cookies,” said Flor- 
ence, “ and there were cup custards too.” 

“ And mother made ginger bread,” added 
Penny, “ and Ted was going to build a fire to 
roast potatoes.” 

Then there was a little silence. The girls 
both looked at their baskets of berries, but they 
no longer tasted them. Penny was thinking to 
herself that she should never again like the taste 
of blueberries. 

“ Penny, are we lost ? ” Florence’s voice 
sounded very near to tears, and Penny suddenly 
remembered that Florence had not wanted to 
cross the brook ; and said to herself that if they 
were lost and starved to death it would be all 
her fault. 

“I guess we are, Florence,” she answered, 
“ but we needn’t be afraid, for father and Ted 
won’t let us stay lost.” 



A ROUND FURRY HEAD APPEARED 



OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 219 

Florence leaned her head against Penny’s 
shoulder. “ I’m awful tired,” she said, and in a 
moment her eyes closed and she was fast asleep. 

Penny sat very still. Although she had 
spoken bravely to Florence about her father 
and Ted finding them she was by no means 
certain that this would be the case. 

“ They won’t think of our crossing the brook. 
I don^t see what made me,” she said to herself. 
“ Anyway, I must take care of Florence,” she 
resolved. 

A little scrambling noise among the rocks 
in front of where the little girls sat attracted 
Penny’s attention, and she looked quickly in 
the direction of the sound. “ Oh ! ” she ex- 
claimed and then sat very still, hardly daring 
to breathe, for a round furry head appeared 
above the rocks, then two black paws, and 
finally an animal which looked to Penny like 
a big brown dog came jumping toward them. 
The berry baskets were directly in front of the 
girls, and when the animal reached the baskets 
he plunged his nose in and began to eat the 
berries eagerly. 

“ Dogs don’t eat blueberries,” Penny thought 
to herself, and suddenly remembered hearing 


220 


A LITTLE MAID 


her father say that very morning that the bears 
and their cubs would have a feast of blueberries 
this year. “ It's a cub ! It's a young bear ! ” 
she thought to herself. But she did not move. 

The cub devoured the contents of Penny’s 
basket, and then with an appreciative grunt 
stuck his nose into the other. Florence’s 
basket had a handle across the middle of the 
basket and another running lengthwise. So it 
was rather difficult for the cub to get at the 
berries. He persevered, however, until his 
head was well under the handles ; and now his 
troubles began, for he could not get his head 
free. He began to claw at it with his paws, and 
to thrash about making angry noises. 

“ Oh, Penny, what is it?” exclaimed Flor- 
ence, jumping up wide awake. 

“ It’s a bear cub ; we must run,” answered 
Penny, grasping Florence by the hand and pull- 
ing her along over the rough ground. The 
young bear was too much occupied with his 
own troubles to care what the strange looking 
creatures did ; and Penny and Florence had 
crossed the open space and plunged into the 
thicket on the other side long before young 
Bruin was free again. 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 221 


The girls ran on, breathless and frightened 
until a familiar sound made Penny stop. 

“ Listen ! That’s the brook, Florence ! ” she 
exclaimed, “ and I was sure we were running 
right away from it.” 

“ Don’t stop to take off shoes,” panted Flor- 
ence, as they came to the bank a little distance 
above the waterfall. Penny waded in and 
Florence after her ; and then tired and hungry 
they made their way to the chestnut tree. 

Ted was just preparing a fire near the brook, 
while Mrs. Balfour and Mrs. Dickinson were 
taking the food from the baskets. 

“ Your father has just gone to look for you,” 
said Mrs. Balfour, and then noticing their tired 
faces and soaked shoes she exclaimed : “ For 
pity’s sake, children, where have you been?” 

Before Penny had finished the story Mr. 
Balfour appeared, and Penny knew by the ex- 
pression on his face that they had been in great 
danger. “ It was all my fault,” she said ; “ if 
the bear had eaten us it would have been my 
fault. Florence did not want to cross the brook 
and I made her.” 

“Is it only noon?” asked Florence in a sur- 
prised voice. “ I thought that we had been 


222 A LITTLE MAID 

away hours and hours, and that it must be al- 
most night.” 

“And the bear got our baskets,” said Penny 
regretfully. 

“ The bear is quite welcome to the baskets,” 
declared Mr. Balfour, clasping Penny’s hand 
close in his own and keeping very near to her 
the remainder of the day. 

It was a very quiet party that made their 
way back to Balfour farm in the late afternoon. 
Mrs. Dickinson kissed Penny when she said 
good-night, greatly to the little girl’s surprise. 
The big baskets were well filled with berries. 
Ted declared they had never brought home as 
many before. 

“ And we would have had more if it hadn’t 
been for that young bear,” said Penny regret- 
fully. 


CHAPTER XX 


PENNY AND CAPTAIN BALFOUR 

“ Everything seems to happen to Pen,” said 
Ted, as he and his father were at work in the 
garden the morning after the blueberry ex- 
cursion. “ It was Pen who found that letter of 
the squire's, it was Pen who carried Colonel 
Barton's message, and now it's Pen who has seen 
a bear cub. She pulled me out of the water, too, 
this summer. If Pen hadn't have known just 
what to do I guess I would have drowned,” he 
concluded. 

This was the first that Mr. Balfour had heard 
of Ted's rescue, and he listened to the story say- 
ing, as Ted described Penny's promptness and 
presence of mind, that there were greater dangers 
than bears after all. 

“ I was thinking,” explained Ted, with a 
laugh, “ that all Pen's adventures ought to have 
been mine. I ought to have saved her life, and 
I ought to have found the letter, and carried the 
message, and met the bear.” 

223 


224 


A LITTLE MAID 


“ I hope Penelope’s adventures are over,” said 
Mr. Balfour, “ and that from now on she will 
walk in safety and peace.” 

“ Oh, Pen likes to have things happen,” 
declared Ted, “ and so do I.” 

“ I wish I were sure of being at home after 
this,” said Mr. Balfour. “ I begin to think that 
my family needs me more than my regiment.” 

“ Father,” interrupted Ted eagerly, “ who is 
that man on horseback stopping at our gate ? ” 

Mr. Balfour did not recognize the visitor at 
first, but as he went toward the road, closely 
followed by Ted, he exclaimed : 

“ It’s Dickinson, young Dickinson ! ” 

The two neighbors greeted each other cordially. 
“ 1 have a letter for you, Mr. Balfour,” said Mr. 
Dickinson, drawing a packet from his breast 
pocket, “ and I hope it brings good news,” and 
after a few more words he rode on toward Stone 
House. 

Ted watched his father as he broke the seal 
and read the letter, and when he saw the smile 
on his father’s face Ted smiled too. 

“ Our neighbor has indeed brought good news. 
This letter is from Roger Sherwin. He says 
that the American cause is winning friends every- 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 225 

where, and what else do you think he says ? ” 
and Mr. Balfour smiled at Ted’s eager face. 

“ What ? What, father? ” 

“ He says that your father, Peter Charles 
Balfour, is to receive a commission as captain 
in the regiment stationed at Warwick Neck.” 

Ted could hardly speak for delight. “ Cap- 
tain Peter Balfour,” he almost whispered ; then 
repeated it in a louder tone, and at last fairly 
shouted it as he ran toward the house to tell his 
mother and Penny the good news. 

“ That means that I can be near home, prob- 
ably, until peace is declared,” said “ Captain ” 
Balfour, “ and I think Penelope deserves to 
have an American officer in her family.” 

“ We ought to celebrate this day,” said Mrs. 
Balfour proudly. 

“ I suppose Mrs. Dickinson would agree with 
that, since it is the day of her husband’s return,” 
replied Captain Balfour laughingly. 

“ May I go and tell Florence ? ” asked Penny, 
who, with Sylvia in her arms, had listened 
eagerly to this wonderful news. 

Mrs. Balfour gave her consent, and Penny 
started off toward Stone House. She was half- 
way across the field when a strange sound from 


226 


A LITTLE MAID 


the road made her stop suddenly and look in 
that direction. 

“ Oh ! ” exclaimed Penny. 

Down the road toward Balfour farm came a 
little procession. At the head was a drummer, 
and the smooth even music of the drum made 
Penny’s feet move in time ; and when the notes 
of a fife joined the little girl exclaimed again. 

Behind the men playing the drum and 
fife marched another man carrying the American 
flag, and then came a number of men from 
Warwick Village. 

“ They are coming to our house,” exclaimed 
Penny, as the musicians struck up a livelier tune, 
and stopped at the front gate leading to the 
Balfour house. 

As Penny stood watching this wonderful 
appearance, she heard her name spoken, and 
there was Florence close beside her. 

“ It’s because my father is a brave soldier,” 
Penny whispered, clasping Florence’s hand, and 
feeling ready to cry. 

“ There are your father and mother at the front 
door,” said Florence, “ and there’s Ted.” And the 
two little girls watched the Warwick men enter 
the gate, and shake Captain Balfour by the hand. 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 227 

“ There comes a carriage ; two carriages ! ” 
said Penny. “ One is the minister’s carriage,” 
and they saw the carriages drive into the farm- 
yard, and several women dismount, taking out 
boxes and packages. “ Come on, Florence,” 
said Penny, and they ran swiftly toward the 
farmhouse just in time to hear Mrs. Godfrey say 
to Penny’s mother : 

“ Mrs. Arnold and Mrs. Green and I thought 
you would not be ready for so many visitors, so 
we brought a pie or two ; and Dilly came to 
help.” 

“ ‘ A pie or two,’ ” responded Mrs. Balfour 
laughingly, as she saw Dilly taking out a boiled 
ham, a number of roasted chickens, and a basket 
filled with biscuit. 

Then what a busy time there was ! Table- 
cloths were spread on the smooth grass under the 
big tree, and while Dilly and Ted brought the 
food from the carriages Mrs. Balfour and her 
friends carved the ham and chickens, and 
brought pitchers of cool milk from the dairy. 

In the midst of the preparations Penny saw 
her father and the minister start for Stone 
House. 

“ They have gone to get your father, Flor- 


228 


A LITTLE MAID 


ence,” said Ted, corning up to where the girls 
were standing ; and when Mr. and Mrs. Dickin- 
son were seen returning with Captain Balfour 
and Mr. Godfrey there was a little murmur of 
applause and the drum and fife sounded a gay 
welcome. 

“ Isn’t it splendid, Penny ? ” whispered Flor- 
ence. The two little girls had kept a little dis- 
tance from the older people, feeling as if it was 
all a wonderful game arranged for their pleasure. 
Before Penelope could answer she felt a gentle 
touch on her shoulder, and looked up to see Mrs. 
Arnold smiling down at her. 

“ I thought this was my little messenger,” 
said the kind woman; “ now you two little girls 
must come and sit with me, where we can get a 
bite to eat and hear all the nice things these 
Warwick men have to say about your fathers,” 
and she led them to where Mrs. Godfrey was 
sitting; and now for the first time Penny saw 
that there were a number of children sitting 
quietly near the big tree. 

“ Here are some of your friends from the vil- 
lage, Penelope,” said Mrs. Godfrey. “ Here 
are Nancy and Ann Maria Talbot.” 

The Talbot girls did not look as if they were 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 229 

very happy. But Penny was so happy herself 
that she forgot all about their former unkind- 
ness and welcomed them warmly. 

“ Our father plays the drum,” said Ann 
Maria, in so meek a voice that Penny looked at 
her in surprise. 

Then, after the luncheon was finished, Mr. 
Godfrey stood up and said many true and 
pleasant things about the honor and courage of 
American soldiers, and of the especial valor of 
Colonel William Barton and his daring capture 
of General Prescott. Penny listened eagerly. 
Suddenly she realized that the minister was 
telling the story of Penelope Balfour carrying a 
message through the darkness to Warwick Vil- 
lage and then she heard him say that she was the 
brave daughter of a brave soldier. Then there 
was a clapping of hands, and the drum and fife 
began to play, and Penny felt as if she were 
going to cry, and was very glad that Ann Maria 
Talbot had heard what the minister said. 

But the proudest and happiest moment for 
Penny and for Florence came when Captain 
Balfour thanked Mr. Godfrey and his Warwick 
friends, and said that the real occasion for this 
friendly gathering was to welcome home a 


230 A LITTLE MAID 

good neighbor and a loyal citizen, Edward 
Dickinson. 

It was late in the afternoon when the drum 
and fife sounded the call to march, and the 
Warwick neighbors went gayly down the road 
toward their homes. The flag waved over 
them, the music rose and fell, and at the gate 
of the Balfour farm Penny, Florence and Ted 
stood watching and listening until the flag 
was out of sight and the music had died away. 
Then as they turned back toward the house Ted 
stopped suddenly and pointed toward the field. 
Black Aleck, leading the white pony harnessed 
to the pony-cart, was coming toward the Balfour 
farm. 

“ There comes your pony, Florence,” said Ted. 

Florence shook her head. “ IPs your pony, 
Ted ; father says so,” she answered. “ You will 
have to keep it this time.” 

Ted looked toward his mother questioningly, 
and as she smiled and nodded, Ted smiled in 
reponser as he said : 

“ I’m glad enough to keep him, Florence, and 
I can’t thank you enough.” 

Penny walked with Florence as far as the wall. 

“ Hasn’t it been a wonderful day, Penny ? ” 


c 116 


OF NARRAGANSETT BAT 231 

Florence said, as she slid down on the further 
side of the wall and looked back at her friend, 
“ and I'm so glad I'm going to live neighbor 
to you." 

“ Yes, I'm glad too, Florence," responded 
Penny, touching her little gold locket tenderly, 
“ and I’m glad we're both Americans." 


The Stories in this Series are : 

A LITTLE MAID OF PROVINCE TOWN 
A LITTLE MAID OF MASSACHUSETTS COLONY 
A LITTLE MAID OF NARRAGANSETT BAY 






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